I guess this is goodbye...

This week, I retired my pump.  

I won't be spending time each day with this view anymore.  It was actually pretty hard and bittersweet for me to do it, but it was time.  That first day was really difficult, but it helped that I was busy at work.  I ask my mommy friends to tell me that it was okay and I had to remind myself that I gave her over 12 months of pumped milk.  Her frozen stash is getting smaller each day and she's been doing great with cow's milk and water at daycare.  Of course, when I'm around she won't drink any of it, so that made me extra nervous.  It feels pretty nice not to have to lug that big bag around with me, but I also feel kinda naked without it! 

I've been nursing in the morning and night, so she still loves that and I don't see it stopping any time soon.  She's still a mommy's girl! 

Goodbye...

I'm saying goodbye to my breastpump!

It's been a long (but also short) 14 months and it's time for you to go down to the basement with all the other baby crap we've acumulated over the past year.

It's a little hard, but this actually was not planned.  (What? Lisa didn't plan something in advance?)  It just sort of happened by accident and I'm doing okay with it.  Crap just got in the way at work and I was super stressed out for the past few weeks.  I was having a hard time getting things done without working a lot of overtime and missing special moments with my boy.  A couple times, I skipped a pumpkin session just so I could have that extra 25 minutes to work.  Then, there was a day when I only pumped a couple ounces which is not normal for me at all.  One of the teachers at daycare supposedly asked if we were switching to completely cow's milk soon because he does so well on it.  So all those things combined just kind of evolved into me attempting to cut out my morning pump at work.

The first few days, I was shocked that my body adapted so quickly and I also got a lot more done at work.  I did miss that relaxing break time during the day so I may or may not have spent a little time hanging out in the bathroom on my cell phone just to reminisce about those nice workday breaks.  But I also got all my work crap done so I didn't have to work late and miss dinner and play time with Connor.

So I guess I did okay with the transition and it was the right thing to do at the time.  Of course, I still nurse him in the morning and at night, so I still have that special bonding time each day.  It's also really nice to finally start in on that freezer stash that's been taking up way too much space!  And as everyone said, Connor is fine and he's thriving.  Stupid Mommy guilt, but it was worth it for that extra time with him!

A Day in my Life (working mom style)

This was an idea started by Jen in our August 2011 group. It's pretty interesting to read how everyone spends their days and I'm sure this will be funny for me to read in a few years.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

5:00 am
Alarm goes off and I get up. Time to shower and start to get ready for work.

5:21 am
Go downstairs and give Kitty his breakfast. Then I get some Peanut Butter Cheerios for myself and take it upstairs to eat while I watch the news.

5:27 am
Wake up the munchkin & feel horrible that I have to wake him while he's still completely asleep. Make sure Daddy is awake and in the shower.

5:32 am
Nurse Connor while I watch the news and catch up on Facebook.
6:05 am
Finishing getting Connor and I ready to go.

6:25 am
Connor, Hubby and I are out the door and on our way.

6:54 am
Get to work and turn on my computer to see my favorite face. (My coworkers set this up for me on my first day back after maternity leave.)

8:27 am
First pumping session
This is the mother's room at work. There's two little spaces with shower curtains and a small fridge to store milk. The one in the photo is "mine" since there's only 2 of us pumping right now.

For my first pumping session of the day, I always read the newspaper.

9:12 am
Headed to the bathroom and figured I'd take a photo so I can remember how I dressed for work. I dress up 2-3x a week and wear jeans for the other days.

9:46 am
Morning snack

10:17 am
Not really feeling too creative today, but at least it looks like I'm working.

11:24 am
Second pumping session
I usually check TMZ and CNN on my phone. I play Solitaire until I win and then I read magazines.

12:07 pm
A quick workout at the gym across the street from work. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill and then some abs and arms.

1:07 pm
Warmed up my frozen Smart Ones for lunch

2:21 pm
Last pumping session for the day while I played Solitaire on my phone and read some emails.

3:00 pm
Meeting with the checks team and we actually got out at a decent time! Usually the meeting goes for almost 90 minutes because we end up chatting about reality tv.

4:07 pm
Out the door and on my way home!

4:33 pm
Stopped at the cleaner to drop off clothes

4:49 pm
Paid some bills (Yes, I have sock monkey checks!)

4:57 pm
Do the dishes left in the sink

5:03 pm
Play with Kitty for a few minutes

5:09 pm
Watch Parenthood from last night while I put away laundry

5:27 pm
Migraine and I can't stand it anymore!

5:35 pm
Daddy and Connor are home! Connor was sleeping from his ride home.

5:51 pm
Hubby was playing video games tonight, so I made a quick dinner of microwave Jack Daniels shredded chicken and club soda. I ate dinner while I nursed Connor and watched tv in bed.

6:34 pm

Diaper change on the bedroom floor

6:41 pm
Playing on the floor

6:52 pm
Saying hello to himself in the mirror

7:00 pm
Time for my tv shows and play time in the boppy

7:13 pm
Dance party during commercials! I played fun songs from YouTube and we danced.

7:30 pm
All swaddled and ready for bed

7:42 pm
Worked on some Valentine's Day crafts for a little bit

8:00 pm
Snuggled up in bed with Kitty and passed out by 8:30!

Busy day in my life, but that's my typical day!

Working Mom - Day 1

Well, I made it. I have 12 minutes left of my work day and I'm still alive.

I shed a couple tears on the way out the door as we packed up the car, but I was fine the rest of the day. Oh wait, when the daycare left a voicemail saying Connor was doing good, I started to get choked up too. But no tears!

The first part of the day seemed like it went by slowly, but it was nice to count down the hours after lunch. I was able to escape for pumping without too much trouble, but it does get in the way when you're in the middle of something. It was actually a nice break so it wasn't as horrible as I thought.

Everyone at work has been supportive so far which is really nice. I came in to find this on my computer : ) I can't help but smile every time I see it!I can't wait to see my baby smile in just a little bit!