5 Months Today

Christmas Morning

Everyone else is out running or still sleeping and I have a nursing/sleeping baby on my lap. Time to post some pictures of Christmas so far.

Mmmmm... Present

Santa Socks

Christmas

Plotting his revenge

Weight Gain

I think the domperidone must have finally kicked in because Spencer has gained 5 ounces a week for the last three weeks and is now 13 pounds. I was really hoping that he would be 13 pounds by 2010 and we met that goal a week early.  He certainly seems a little chubbier. He has good smoosh to his thighs now, but he isn’t a chubby baby by any means.  My first week back at work didn’t disrupt my milk supply too much, for that I am very grateful. I was really worried about that. I don’t like pumping at work, though. Even with the office door locked, I feel like someone is about to come in at any minute and it gets really hot in there. I completely forgot how much I hated my office while I was on leave. It is hot, noisy and the chair is pretty uncomfortable. Even with the baby, I definitely am more productive at home. But, I have my own office which serves as a place to pump and my boss is accommodating to the amount of time I need, so really I am lucky. I just need to keep remembering that. On an unrelated note, I can’t believe it is almost time to make a 5 month tag!

Almost Ready

I have been vacillating between grinchy and merry this holiday season. I want to be happy about it because it is my first Christmas with my son, but I haven’t wanted ti deal with the work. There are still cookies unbaked and presents unwrapped, but there is a tree and a wreath and the old stuffed joy that always hung above my parent’s fireplace. This is the first year I am hanging up since we sold my mom’s house, but it is so iconic to me. It was one of my favorite things to get out of the big box of decorations they kept in the garage and it looked so cheery above the fireplace, framed by our stockings.  It seems out-of-place on my wall, but there is a cute spot for it and maybe it will end up being a new family tradition of our little family.  I try to focus on establishing new traditions and am slowly realizing that I am assuming the “mom” role this Christmas. It seems unfamiliar, but suits me at the same time.

If I don’t post again before Friday, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it and have a really nice day on the 25th for those who don’t.

First Week of Work

For the first time, almost ever, Spencer had really good weight gain – 5 ounces – two weeks in a row. Of course, I went back to work this week, which I am hoping is not the end of the good gaining.  We have worked so hard at this, I hope my working doesn’t mess anything up.  I only went back to work for three hours on the first day and it almost killed me.  I need to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be able to work mostly from home and that I have a really flexible schedule and very understanding boss.  We are still cloth diapering off and on, waiting to build up our stash and use up all the size 1 disposables that are lying around the house.  I love cloth diapering, we are changing him less and he seems pretty happy in them. I ordered more soap, too. I am using Rockin’ Green soap right now and I must say I am impressed.  I ordered a few samples to try out some scents and then I might convert all of my laundry over to it.

This seems a little scattered, for that I apologize.  Next year, I think I am going to try to get 3 posts up per week and try to make them more topical.

Back to Work

I start working again tomorrow and I know I should be focusing on the good parts – flexible hours, partially working from home, my own office to pump in – but I am not. I don’t really want to go back. If my insurance wasn’t so good, I might not go back, but I should at least keep my insurance until we have a second baby.  I really have no idea how I am going to work at home when I am the only one home. A lot of my job is email based, so at least I can return emails while I am nursing him. He nurses for so long, that might actually cover the 8 hours I need to work in a day.  I thought I was being very clever going back to work right before the upcoming paid holidays, but now I am not so sure.  I still have christmas shopping to take care of and getting everything ready for my sister;s visit and my first weeks back at work at the same time. Ugh. I really didn’t think that through. At least we got the tree decorated today.

Holiday Season

I thought I would be more excited about my first Christmas with a baby. Right now, I seems like a lot of work and I am feeling very grinchy.  I don’t even want a tree. My husband wants one, so we will get one and I do want the family around the tree picture, I just don’t want to put in the effort. I want to wrinkle my nose and have it appear like Samantha on Bewitched.  I am excited about getting more cloth diapers for presents though, I set up a registry and everything. I think my problem that normally I love finding that perfect and creative present for someone and I don’t have it in me this year. I just have other things on my mind. It will be a socks and scarves kind of Christmas at my house this year. I did buy Spencer his stocking today and after I got home I realized that I bought him the exact stocking I would have wanted as a child. It is a little sparkly with red and green rick rack. So cute.

First Day with Cloth Diapers

Our first day diapering in cloth went pretty well. One diaper blew out the leg, but I think that can be easily attributed to user error.   The Smartipants are great, trimmer than I expected and super absorbent.  Much to my delight, Spencer tolerates a wet cloth diaper much better than a disposable one.  I changed them based on time not tears.  I only have enough diapers right now cover one partial day.  I’ll get the rest (I hope) at the workshop on Wednesday.

Starting Our Cloth Diaper Adventure

I just washed our first few cloth diapers.  I am excited to begin this project.  I am starting with an assortment: Smartipants, bumGenius, Econobum, Thirsties, Kissaluvs and FuzziBunz.  I purchased one of each type except for the Smartipants, I have 4 of those.  I thought I would try a few out before committing to a whole system.  I realize there will be a little waste in the beginning from washing smaller loads, but I can live with that compared to investing in a system that didn’t work for us.

These are my biggest concerns at the start:

1. The moisture won’t wick away enough and I will be changing Spencer every time he wets; then we would need a huge stash of diapers.

2. I won’t be able to deal with the poopy diapers – they will gross me out, I won’t be able to get them clean, etc.

3. Our really hard water will cause laundry issues. I’ve researched this and there are solutions, it may just cause a little more work.

4. I won’t be able to stop buying them because they are so cute.

One More Week

I only have one more week at home full-time with Spencer.  I am not thrilled about going back.  I would need to take a pretty hard look at our finances to see if I could stop working and full-time from home is not an option.  I am lucky in that I am able to do part of my hours from home, but I will still be leaving my little guy with someone else.  And I am having trouble finding a caregiver, partially, I think, because I don’t really want to..  I love our morning cuddle/nap during the Price is Right, our random daily walks.  I worry that I am going back to work at the cost of our breastfeeding relationship and my tenuous milk supply.  I am worried and scared that I will ruin our last week together by obsessing about being apart.