I hate to admit it, but I find myself no longer living in the moment because I'm terrified I'm going to blink and I'm going to be dropping Ian off at college and he is going to look at me and say "Mom, you can go, really, we'll figure it out." (just like my mom heard at my college drop-off... I'm sorry mom... but hey, we did figure it all out). It's seriously concerning. I mean here we are nearly 2 months later and I've hardly found time to shower on a daily basis and the days just fly on by. Truly, he is getting bigger before my eyes. In the back of my head I constantly hear a clock... tick, tock, tick, tock. I think it's the clock telling me that I have "x" days until I have to go back to work. Last week was the half-way point for my 12 week maternity leave. And honestly I'm alright with the fact that I will going back to work (despite that I know it won't be easy) it's more so the realization that when I return to work 3 months will have passed since Ian was born. The rate at which time flies is was is freaking me out. I have my moments where I feel like I'm waiting to exhale just thinking if I hold my breath long enough time won't pass.
So aside from the time induced panic attacks, what has been happening these past few weeks?
Here are 10 things we've been doing...
1.
Daycare. I have spent the past 2 weeks focused on finding daycare, it has become my full-time job (aside from watching babe). I assume I might be able to simmer a bit when I have that figured out. It's still not resolved but we're getting closer. Here's the reader's digest....I've probably called 50+ daycare providers (and only heard back from about half), toured 5 facilities, met with 3 in-home providers, and I've "unofficially" joined a nanny share and we're onto interviewing nannies. So what is this nanny share you ask... Well, I met a very nice mom and her baby boy, Rowan, (who is 2 months older than Ian) on craigslist and after a meeting at Starbucks we decided to embark on looking into doing a nanny share where we will hire a nanny to watch the boys and rotate houses every other week. Yes, this all sounds crazy, but it's actually really smart... it's a 2:1 ratio versus the 5:1 you see in most daycare centers and the baby is watched in your home 1/2 the time. So that's that. We are interviewing 3 more nanny's this week and hopefully we will have it all figured out this next week. Stay tuned... If this nanny thing doesn't pan out I have a back up plan. Bottom line, daycare is expensive. REALLY expensive. For some perspective one year of daycare is pretty much the cost of one year tuition of college at my Mother Miami, and parents save years for that. No, I'm not lying.
2.
Acne. The acne has been improving, slowly but surely. I can't say we're 100% cleared up but we have made SERIOUS progress. They tell you not to put anything on it, well... I did. I couldn't help myself. And every time I talked to my mom she would ask "Sarah, did you put cream on it? Just put some cream on it!" So we put some cream on it.... I consulted my inner hippie and went to Whole Foods for an el natural concoction, I mean how bad could that be? I got the California Baby calendula cream... it sort of smells like lavender so John is always asking "Why does he smell like tea?" (um... mama creamed him up).
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| Prior to the "creaming" - Baby Acne is a sad state of affairs... chapped and not pretty |
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| + the cream |
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| = much improved skin! Cream on. |
3.
Postpartum Check-up. I had my 6 week post birth check up with my obgyn last week where they check your healing, weigh you, and make sure nothing else has come up health-wise since the birth (like postpartum depression). I was "cleared" to resume life as usual... which basically means I can workout again and the who-ha doesn't have to be closed for business anymore...ahhh, yeah. So, the good news, I am 8 lbs away from my starting weight, and my doc said that she tells people if they are 15 lbs away from their start weight at their postpartum check-up that they are doing great - where is my gold star from Wendy weight watcher? Holla. Which brings me to my next point... my normal pants fit (they could be looser, don't get me wrong)... this again gives me anxiety that work is coming because I didn't think I'd be buttoning them again until I was back at work. Anyway, let's keep the lb's dropping... more to come on that. I'm going to kick it into high gear with Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred for the last month of leave.
4. Tummy time. We're getting really good at lifting our head and workin' it.
5. Growing. I'm not sure how much Ian weighs now (we go for his 2 month appt next week), but it's safe to say that anything sized "newborn" does not fit.... case in point...woof.
6. Smiling. That's right, we're learning to smile. It's still hard to catch it on camera, but it's happening more and more often, and how could it not? Mama is constantly making totally insane faces and singing.
7.
Meeting Cousin Eddie. You know, cousin Eddie...
No, no, no... not THAT cousin Eddie. THIS cousin Eddie...
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| Ian is a little uninterested in cousin Eds |
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| Ian and Eddie took a walk together....Ian fell asleep and Eddie had to be carried. |
That's right, my sister got a puppy and named him Eddie. It just so happen that Eddie is a few days older than Ian, and Emily & Boyfriend Todd were allowed to bring him home from the breeder's last Friday night! What is cuter than puppies and babies? Um, nothing.
8. Trying to find sometime for mama. They say it's important to not totally neglect yourself entirely after becoming a mother. So we've made time to get a pedi and a mani here and there. I hate to admit it but I went without Ian last weekend (dad watched him), and everyone who works there kept coming up saying "How's your baby?" Probably means I've brought him too many times, but come on any sort of beauty service is my guilty pleasure and required for my sanity. Plus my feet
really needed it, they seriously used a parm cheese grater on my heels.
9. Raising the Roof. Ian has an obsession with putting his hands up in the air. When I swaddle him he wants he hands out so he can stick them up by his head... Just a few examples.
10. Pumping. People keep asking about the b'feeding and we actually stopped trying. Why force it when the pumping system is working for us? Plus with going back to work in such a short time it truly was not a priority for me at this point I'm happy with this path. So, the dairy bar continues. We've got the pumping thing down now and despite the fact that I feel like I am constantly doing it, I actually only have to pump 4 times a day to make WAY more than Ian needs in a day. It's really working out except for when I have to pump in the bathroom at public places that part sucks...
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| look at me all hands-free ... told ya I totally gave in... I'm one step away from being on the ad's |
11 (had to add a bonus number). Being freaking adorable.
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| Don't you just want to squeeze me? |
