This week I celebrated a birthday. Sigh.
While I am not unhappy about aging, my birthday just reminds me that time is moving along at a rather fast clip. This week not only marks my 32nd birthday, but also my son's first month of life and my maternity leave rapidly coming to a close.
Sigh.
On Sunday, my friends Janet and Amanda came over with cake, wine, and their girls. Justin and Eliot were certainly outnumbered. Eliot did not seem to notice. Justin read a book. :)
Monday I had more visitors, this time my friends Stephanie and Renee from my old district in Milpitas. They also brought cake (I have good friends), but this time it was ice cream. I cannot remember the last time I had ice cream cake. So dang good.
We chatted about work stuff, I showed off Eliot, and we had lunch. It was really nice getting to hang out with them. I haven't seen either of them since Stephanie was pregnant with her second child, who is going to turn two this year. Yeah, it's been a while.
Tuesday was my actual birthday, and I was up early with Eliot to begin celebrating it. We rang in my new year by breastfeeding and watching Angel. :) Later that day, I was fortunate enough to continue my birthday celebrations with a doctor's visit. I took Em to daycare, and Eliot and I braved my first exam post labor. Fun. Luckily, I had El to distract me.
That evening, Justin brought home Chinese food and chocolate cake. He and Emerson gave me perfume and the Rats of Nimh for my birthday, so we ate dinner and watched the movie. It was a very relaxing birthday, which is about all I can handle at this point.
Wednesday and Thursday were both pretty relaxed. I mostly hung out with Eliot, folded laundry, and napped. I am really going to miss maternity leave. :(
On Friday, Justin's parents came by. They watched the kids in the evening so Justin and I could go out for dinner. I chose sushi, which I consider an adult meal. However, the restaurant was FULL of families. Oh, well. We had a nice time.
We don't have any big plans for this weekend (I'm not sure if we are capable of big plans at this point to be honest.) I'm just looking forward to hanging out and enjoying the nice weather. It's supposed to rain soon...just in time for Easter.
I enjoyed my birthday this week, but I am ready to get focused again on getting healthy. I didn't lose any weight this week. Not a big surprise given all the cake. :) But I did exercise three times to a Jillian Michals DVD. The first day it was rough, but I felt much stronger on day two; day three was rough again. Hopefully, I am able to do it again today. We shall see...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Week Four
This upcoming week, Eliot turns a month old. I know this is cliche to say, but I really can't believe how quickly it is going. I have had so much fun spending time with him and incorporating him into our family.
Last Sunday, the four of us headed to the grocery store. Eliot marked the occasion by napping. No big surprise there. :)
This last week was very pleasant, as I had no work to do. I really just got to focus on my family, and it was lovely.
Monday was Eliot's doctor's appointment. He has the same pediatrician as Emerson, who for the most part I like. Right after Eliot was born, the doctors said that he should be back up to his birth weight by the first appointment. Well, he weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 oz, so he is doing well. He is still a little guy when compared to his peers, as he is in the 10th percentile for weight. Justin and I make little babies. No complaints here.
Tuesday I dropped Em off at daycare, and took Eliot on my first solo shopping trip. Again, he did great. We relaxed at home, and I actually cooked dinner. I haven't cooked much this year, so I can't say my stir fry was perfect but at least the effort was there.
Wednesday I got a late start. It was pretty much a mad dash trying to get three of us ready to drop Em off at school. Luckily, I was able to head home and recover with a nap. Rough times. :)
On Thursday I kept Em home, so that we could meet friends for coffee in Sacramento. It was nice to get out and show off my little guy. After coffee we headed to a friend's house, so our girls could play. All went well until we had to leave. Then Emerson threw a massive fit. Massive fit. I was not happy, and she lost her ability to watch Barbie movies this weekend.
When we got back, I took advantage of a sudden desire to clean (these do not come often so it is best to jump on it.) I cleared out my dresser and closet of all maternity clothes and old stuff. I typically do this clearing out in August, but we were so busy in August (and I was so tired and sick) that I never got around to it. My dresser has been a disaster ever since. So three garbage bags later, I can finally close my drawers and we now have enough hangers.
Part of my motivation for cleaning out my dresser was my need to get some clothes. My maternity clothes are too big, but I am not ready for my pre-pregnancy stuff yet. However, I did not want to add more crap to my overtaxed drawers, so I made myself organize before I was allowed to go shopping.
On Friday, Eliot and I headed to Old Navy. I was not thrilled to buy size 12 jeans, but I know that it is temporary. It was nice, though, to buy pants that zip. :)
Later that day, and after a mad house cleaning effort, my dad and his girlfriend came over. Lys had not met Eliot yet, so it was nice to finally introduce them. They got us dinner, and we hung out for a couple hours. I will never tire of showing off Eliot. :)
Justin and I went to bed literally a half hour after our guests left. I was so tired that I fell asleep before I even put my head down on the pillow. I was so happy to get a nice chunk of sleep before Eliot woke up at two. We ended up needing it, as we headed to the Bay Area for my grandmother's birthday party. The trip went well, we got to see family, and we returned home pretty easily.
However, Eliot decided that he was in a funky mood, so he was up every three hours last night. I have been really lucky with him, and he normally gives me a good five hour chunk of sleep at night. Last night, not so much. He was up at 1. Then 4. Then 7. Owie. Now he is asleep. Of course. :)
Today some friends are coming over for a visit, which will be nice. That's about all I have planned. Maybe a nap. Big plans. :)
I only have two weeks left of leave, which I am trying not to think about too much. Luckily, I only have three weeks of school after I go back. I'm sure it will all work out, but I am not looking forward to getting two kids to daycare and trying to make it to work by 7:15 every day. Luckily, Justin's mom will be staying with us for my first week back. Thank gawd for that.
On the baby weight front, I have also begun focusing on getting back to a healthy weight. I have 30 pounds to lose, so I have begun tracking my diet. I hope to begin exercising soon; hopefully that helps speed my weight loss along. So far I have lost two pounds. At that rate, I'll lose my baby weight by the time Eliot starts kindergarten. :)
Well, off to take a hurried shower before little guy wakes up.
Last Sunday, the four of us headed to the grocery store. Eliot marked the occasion by napping. No big surprise there. :)
This last week was very pleasant, as I had no work to do. I really just got to focus on my family, and it was lovely.
Monday was Eliot's doctor's appointment. He has the same pediatrician as Emerson, who for the most part I like. Right after Eliot was born, the doctors said that he should be back up to his birth weight by the first appointment. Well, he weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 oz, so he is doing well. He is still a little guy when compared to his peers, as he is in the 10th percentile for weight. Justin and I make little babies. No complaints here.
Tuesday I dropped Em off at daycare, and took Eliot on my first solo shopping trip. Again, he did great. We relaxed at home, and I actually cooked dinner. I haven't cooked much this year, so I can't say my stir fry was perfect but at least the effort was there.
Wednesday I got a late start. It was pretty much a mad dash trying to get three of us ready to drop Em off at school. Luckily, I was able to head home and recover with a nap. Rough times. :)
On Thursday I kept Em home, so that we could meet friends for coffee in Sacramento. It was nice to get out and show off my little guy. After coffee we headed to a friend's house, so our girls could play. All went well until we had to leave. Then Emerson threw a massive fit. Massive fit. I was not happy, and she lost her ability to watch Barbie movies this weekend.
When we got back, I took advantage of a sudden desire to clean (these do not come often so it is best to jump on it.) I cleared out my dresser and closet of all maternity clothes and old stuff. I typically do this clearing out in August, but we were so busy in August (and I was so tired and sick) that I never got around to it. My dresser has been a disaster ever since. So three garbage bags later, I can finally close my drawers and we now have enough hangers.
Part of my motivation for cleaning out my dresser was my need to get some clothes. My maternity clothes are too big, but I am not ready for my pre-pregnancy stuff yet. However, I did not want to add more crap to my overtaxed drawers, so I made myself organize before I was allowed to go shopping.
On Friday, Eliot and I headed to Old Navy. I was not thrilled to buy size 12 jeans, but I know that it is temporary. It was nice, though, to buy pants that zip. :)
Later that day, and after a mad house cleaning effort, my dad and his girlfriend came over. Lys had not met Eliot yet, so it was nice to finally introduce them. They got us dinner, and we hung out for a couple hours. I will never tire of showing off Eliot. :)
Justin and I went to bed literally a half hour after our guests left. I was so tired that I fell asleep before I even put my head down on the pillow. I was so happy to get a nice chunk of sleep before Eliot woke up at two. We ended up needing it, as we headed to the Bay Area for my grandmother's birthday party. The trip went well, we got to see family, and we returned home pretty easily.
However, Eliot decided that he was in a funky mood, so he was up every three hours last night. I have been really lucky with him, and he normally gives me a good five hour chunk of sleep at night. Last night, not so much. He was up at 1. Then 4. Then 7. Owie. Now he is asleep. Of course. :)
Today some friends are coming over for a visit, which will be nice. That's about all I have planned. Maybe a nap. Big plans. :)
I only have two weeks left of leave, which I am trying not to think about too much. Luckily, I only have three weeks of school after I go back. I'm sure it will all work out, but I am not looking forward to getting two kids to daycare and trying to make it to work by 7:15 every day. Luckily, Justin's mom will be staying with us for my first week back. Thank gawd for that.
On the baby weight front, I have also begun focusing on getting back to a healthy weight. I have 30 pounds to lose, so I have begun tracking my diet. I hope to begin exercising soon; hopefully that helps speed my weight loss along. So far I have lost two pounds. At that rate, I'll lose my baby weight by the time Eliot starts kindergarten. :)
Well, off to take a hurried shower before little guy wakes up.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The first (almost) three weeks
I cannot believe that this Tuesday, my little guy will be three weeks old. It has been an interesting time so far.
Week 1
Eliot was born on a Tuesday morning, and we spent a relatively short time in the hospital. After the delivery, Eliot, Justin, and I got transferred to our teeny, yet private (thank goodness) room. Since it was 5 am, Justin fell asleep immediately. I was not able to, as I could not take my eyes off my new little boy, who fell asleep sucking his fingers.
A couple hours later, Justin headed home to be with Emerson and bring her to the hospital. My sister and mom came by the hospital and their arrival began the family visits. All in all, Justin's parents, my dad, my sister, my mom, my grandmother, my cousin Beth, and our friend Jennifer came by. Most of them brought some sort of sweet thing for me to eat--highly appreciated. :)
Wednesday we got the go ahead to go home. Eliot passed all his tests, and he appeared to be healthy enough to go home. We weren't quite breastfeeding champs yet, but we had a good start.
So Wednesday evening was our first night home. It was good to be home. I felt completely zonked, but it was great to have family to keep Emerson entertained. Eliot and I persevered with the breast feeding, but it became apparent to me by Thursday that things were not as good as they could be. My milk had not come in yet and his cry was really hoarse. Plus, he had virtually no wet diapers.
Friday was our first medical check, and I was not surprised when we found out he had lost too much weight. I was pretty upset, but not surprised. They gave us a bunch of formula and a pumping plan (oh, how I didn't miss that). When we came back on Saturday, Eliot had gained five ounces (the doctor had said she would like him to gain an ounce...an ounce kid! You overachiever.) The new doctor on Saturday noticed that Eliot's tongue may have been causing the issue because the the ligament connecting the tongue to his mouth, so she referred us to a specialist.
Over the weekend my sister and her family came up. It was great to see her and her little boy, Owen. We just hung out and chatted most of the weekend. The weather was terrible, so there wasn't much else to do.
On Monday, we took El to the specialist, who sniped his frenulum. This was highly unpleasant for mommy. It also opened my eyes to what it will be like having a son. After performing the procedure, the doctor joked, "I have just made his future girl friends very happy." Ew. No one says dirty crap like that when you have a girl.
Week 2
Justin returned to work on Tuesday, and my mom stayed in town for the week to help out. She tends to be a night owl, which was wonderfully convenient. I have found that I start to get really tired 11 or so, which just happens to be when Eliot gets gassy and has a hard time falling asleep. Every other feeding the little guy follows the "plan" perfectly: eats, gets a diaper change, hangs out for 15 minutes or so looking at his hands, and falls asleep on his own. The feeding between 9 and 11 is a different story. Luckily, my mom was on hand to watch him so that I could get to sleep for a couple hours. For the next two feedings I would feel fine, and for the most part, he would go to sleep okay.
The rest of the week went quickly. Emerson went to pre-school and hung out with my mom most of the week. I started to get the hang of things, and I was feeling good about being on my own, when I got slammed by a terrible sore throat.
By Saturday, my sore throat was accompanied by pink eye.
Seriously. Effing pink eye.
I got a prescription and hoped to see some relief quickly. I was not so lucky.
Week 3
This past week was pretty intense. First, I paid for my procrastination in terms of not writing my evaluations. I basically wrote all week to get them done in time. (I still have one to go, but I should be able to make short work of it.)
Second, my eye infection turned out to be super stubborn. My throat killed me all week and I lost my voice. This was fine when I was at home with Eliot during the day, but not so great when Justin and Em came home.
About Wednesday, I called uncle and asked Justin for help at night. It was (and still is) my intention to do the nighttime duties on my own during my leave. Justin works really hard, he has a terrible commute to Stockton at a terrible time, and he does most of the cooking and cleaning. I think it's only fair that I take care of the nighttime stuff, which I am totally willing to do.
However, the cold and pink eye proved too much and I needed a little help from him. So Justin stayed up with Eliot until he would fall asleep at 11 or 12. Then Justin would pull his tired butt out of bed at 5 to go to work. Luckily, he only did it two nights, but it took a toll on him.
On Friday, Eliot and I had a big day. I wore something other than my yoga pants, we took Em to pre-school, and we headed to my work to turn in the evals. And do a little baby showing off. Immediately after, we headed to my doctor's appointment to deal with my stupid eyes. Later in the afternoon, my friend Janet and her daughter came over and we hung out for a bit.
I was all set for a fun weekend with friends and family visiting when I looked down and saw Eliot's eye was all gunky (technical term I know.) I cancelled the visits and called the doctor. We got a prescription and so far his eye seems to be responding, as has mine to my new medication.
Today we all slept in a little bit (our little angel boy fell asleep after his 8 am feeding, so I followed suit.) Em and I had a mommy-daughter trip to lunch and Target, and Justin and Eliot rested at home.
Tomorrow also looks to be pretty quiet. I need to finish that last evaluation and tackle the ridiculous pile of laundry hiding in Eliot's room. Monday we have his doctor's appointment, and I'll be interested to see how much weight he has gained.
So far our little family of four is doing well. I do wish we were healthier, but Eliot is fitting in quite nicely. :)
Week 1
Eliot was born on a Tuesday morning, and we spent a relatively short time in the hospital. After the delivery, Eliot, Justin, and I got transferred to our teeny, yet private (thank goodness) room. Since it was 5 am, Justin fell asleep immediately. I was not able to, as I could not take my eyes off my new little boy, who fell asleep sucking his fingers.
A couple hours later, Justin headed home to be with Emerson and bring her to the hospital. My sister and mom came by the hospital and their arrival began the family visits. All in all, Justin's parents, my dad, my sister, my mom, my grandmother, my cousin Beth, and our friend Jennifer came by. Most of them brought some sort of sweet thing for me to eat--highly appreciated. :)
Wednesday we got the go ahead to go home. Eliot passed all his tests, and he appeared to be healthy enough to go home. We weren't quite breastfeeding champs yet, but we had a good start.
So Wednesday evening was our first night home. It was good to be home. I felt completely zonked, but it was great to have family to keep Emerson entertained. Eliot and I persevered with the breast feeding, but it became apparent to me by Thursday that things were not as good as they could be. My milk had not come in yet and his cry was really hoarse. Plus, he had virtually no wet diapers.
Friday was our first medical check, and I was not surprised when we found out he had lost too much weight. I was pretty upset, but not surprised. They gave us a bunch of formula and a pumping plan (oh, how I didn't miss that). When we came back on Saturday, Eliot had gained five ounces (the doctor had said she would like him to gain an ounce...an ounce kid! You overachiever.) The new doctor on Saturday noticed that Eliot's tongue may have been causing the issue because the the ligament connecting the tongue to his mouth, so she referred us to a specialist.
Over the weekend my sister and her family came up. It was great to see her and her little boy, Owen. We just hung out and chatted most of the weekend. The weather was terrible, so there wasn't much else to do.
On Monday, we took El to the specialist, who sniped his frenulum. This was highly unpleasant for mommy. It also opened my eyes to what it will be like having a son. After performing the procedure, the doctor joked, "I have just made his future girl friends very happy." Ew. No one says dirty crap like that when you have a girl.
Week 2
Justin returned to work on Tuesday, and my mom stayed in town for the week to help out. She tends to be a night owl, which was wonderfully convenient. I have found that I start to get really tired 11 or so, which just happens to be when Eliot gets gassy and has a hard time falling asleep. Every other feeding the little guy follows the "plan" perfectly: eats, gets a diaper change, hangs out for 15 minutes or so looking at his hands, and falls asleep on his own. The feeding between 9 and 11 is a different story. Luckily, my mom was on hand to watch him so that I could get to sleep for a couple hours. For the next two feedings I would feel fine, and for the most part, he would go to sleep okay.
The rest of the week went quickly. Emerson went to pre-school and hung out with my mom most of the week. I started to get the hang of things, and I was feeling good about being on my own, when I got slammed by a terrible sore throat.
By Saturday, my sore throat was accompanied by pink eye.
Seriously. Effing pink eye.
I got a prescription and hoped to see some relief quickly. I was not so lucky.
Week 3
This past week was pretty intense. First, I paid for my procrastination in terms of not writing my evaluations. I basically wrote all week to get them done in time. (I still have one to go, but I should be able to make short work of it.)
Second, my eye infection turned out to be super stubborn. My throat killed me all week and I lost my voice. This was fine when I was at home with Eliot during the day, but not so great when Justin and Em came home.
About Wednesday, I called uncle and asked Justin for help at night. It was (and still is) my intention to do the nighttime duties on my own during my leave. Justin works really hard, he has a terrible commute to Stockton at a terrible time, and he does most of the cooking and cleaning. I think it's only fair that I take care of the nighttime stuff, which I am totally willing to do.
However, the cold and pink eye proved too much and I needed a little help from him. So Justin stayed up with Eliot until he would fall asleep at 11 or 12. Then Justin would pull his tired butt out of bed at 5 to go to work. Luckily, he only did it two nights, but it took a toll on him.
On Friday, Eliot and I had a big day. I wore something other than my yoga pants, we took Em to pre-school, and we headed to my work to turn in the evals. And do a little baby showing off. Immediately after, we headed to my doctor's appointment to deal with my stupid eyes. Later in the afternoon, my friend Janet and her daughter came over and we hung out for a bit.
I was all set for a fun weekend with friends and family visiting when I looked down and saw Eliot's eye was all gunky (technical term I know.) I cancelled the visits and called the doctor. We got a prescription and so far his eye seems to be responding, as has mine to my new medication.
Today we all slept in a little bit (our little angel boy fell asleep after his 8 am feeding, so I followed suit.) Em and I had a mommy-daughter trip to lunch and Target, and Justin and Eliot rested at home.
Tomorrow also looks to be pretty quiet. I need to finish that last evaluation and tackle the ridiculous pile of laundry hiding in Eliot's room. Monday we have his doctor's appointment, and I'll be interested to see how much weight he has gained.
So far our little family of four is doing well. I do wish we were healthier, but Eliot is fitting in quite nicely. :)
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