Work, Babies, Life

I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore. I would dearly love to have my abdomen back. To not have constant pressure on my ribs, to have less back and hip pain. I know that my breasts won't be mine again for a while but I think I can handle that. I've been pregnant or breastfeeding for 2 years now, non-stop so I have accepted that parts of me aren't going to be mine for some time.

I'm at the stage of pregnancy where I wake up every couple of hours. My body is getting ready for late-night feedings again. This wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that Monkey hasn't been sleeping either and despite my numerous requests the office has yet to implement my "Company Nap-Time" idea. Sigh.

My mat leave replacement seems to be ready to do the job. He's been involved for long enough and has participated in enough to know the drill. I'm not worried about things going belly up while I'm away. We have completed shooting 64 videos. I'm not sure when we will have them all edited with transcripts but that's part of the project. Right now we're focused on equipment suppliers and maintaining our shooting schedule.

Husband has taken up the guitar. One of his employees is a musician and the in-laws are a musical bunch so he has lots of inspiration to draw from. I'm working on amigurumi toys with needle-felted details. Monkey is working on words and putting things in places.

Long Time No See

Howdy! It has been a while. How are things?

Everything is great here but very busy. I am now back to work, preparing to be a videographer. I am not entirely sure I'm qualified but I am going to try my damnedest.

Squishy is huge. She has two teeth and is very close to crawling. She is eating and growing as well as can be expected. Even though I work during the day I am still breastfeeding at night.

We are all settled into our new house. Things are finally getting under control.

In crafting news I have joined the local embroidery guild. I hope to improve my embroidery and cross-stitch skill. They are a bunch of great ladies who welcomed us with open arms.

Home Again

We are back in NS after an extended vacation in NB. We are slowly recuperating. We had a great time. First we visited SIL in Maine so that she could spend some quality time with her "Fairy God-Child" and then we left Squishy in the care of her Nana while Mommy and Daddy took some time to themselves at The Camp.

I was petrified of spending my first night without my baby. I wasn't worried about her, since my mother did a fantastic job raising me, I was worried about me. I missed her so much! I didn't want to turn in to an emotional wreck worried about every little thing. I was worried that she wouldn't take the formula, or that she would forget how to breastfeed. I wanted her first night without Mommy to go smoothly so that Nana wouldn't be scarred for life and might agree to do that again. I worried needlessly. Squishy was on her best behavior and slept. I managed not to make Daddy drive to F'ton in the middle of the night to check that Squishy was sleeping.

Doodles and C joined us for the weekend. It rained. We did not go swimming even though Squishy had her first dip in The Lake just days before. We did go to the aquarium and we went to town to visit the shops.

When we went to pick Squishy up from Nana's I was surprised by how much she had grown in only a few days. She looked so much bigger and older. She's not quite my little baby any more. She didn't forget how to breastfeed, and she maintained a healthy appetite while she was with Nana. I don't think I'll ever have to worry about her not eating. She is her father's daughter and Grampy's granddaughter.

First Bottle!

I am so proud! Squishy just took her first bottle from her father! She only put up minimal resistance. I didn't pump much so she was still hungry and needed some boob.

Boobs are the Center of Her Universe

Squishy has grown. She is almost 11lbs and she's not even a month old. She has gained about a pound a week since we got home from the hospital. She loves boobs. She feeds at least ever 3 hours, usually more frequently than that. Bad news though, we have thrush. My nipples have been killing me. They have been bright pink and one has had some residue on the areola. Squishy has the same white residue in her mouth. We've both got prescriptions for it and hopefully everything will clear up quickly. I have had no other problems with breastfeeding so this must be my trial.

Squishy Update

Squishy is doing very well. She had her first doctor's appointment yesterday and she is growing nicely. She eats more than I ever imagined, and since I'm breastfeeding I often feel like I'm permanently attached to her. Breastfeeding was one of my biggest fears. I was worried that I wouldn't have the patience to sit with her for hours to feed. I thought that she might not take to breastfeeding and I thought that it might be too painful to do frequently. I have not had any of these problems. She has taken to breastfeeding, I have not suffered too horribly and we get to spend a lot of time together.

She sleeps a lot. She sleeps when she eats, when she's being burped, when she is in her sling and when she is in the car. I was told that newborns slept most of the time, but I was expecting to sleep less myself. Right now I am only waking up twice a night, once at 11pm and once somewhere between 3 and 4am. I wake up for good around 6:30 and 7am.

One thing I have been surprised about is how little home life has changed. Husband and I still have time to read, play video games and spend lots of quality time on the internet. I have not fallen behind on any of my chores. The dishes are getting done, the laundry isn't piling up as much as I had feared. I have been advised to plan some projects that can be done in fits and spurts so that I don't go insane with boredom, but I'm not occupied when I'm needed by the Squishy One.