In slow motion

This fall, Cree and I re-evaluated our day care transport schedule in light of our new responsibilities.  I ended up with morning drop-off since she has to be at work much earlier and thankfully I can be a little flexible.  Etta has to be at school around 9, and then Cree goes to pick her up by 4, so I drop her off and then come home later.

This sounds simple, right?

It's not.  My supervisor at work affectionately calls this process of getting out of the house "The Morning Marathon" and it's amazing how time gets absorbed into some black hole, which is parts negotiation, and parts trickery.  Some days, I'm exhausted by the time I get to work!

Yesterday was one of these days.  Etta is the Queen of Getting Sidetracked, which requires me to be the Regent of Distraction from Distraction Techniques.  If you live with a toddler, you will know that this is hard work.  Here's a little timeline from yesterday morning.

7:35 - I am getting ready (and letting Etta sleep a little longer, because it's easier) when she begins calling out "Mama!  Mama!  I'm up!!!"

7:40 - Etta is reading books while I attempt to cajole her to come to the bathroom and use the potty.

7:41 - Brings books to bathroom.   Has to go back for one she forgot.

7:42 - Refuses to use the potty.

7:43 - I am able to partially undress her while she looks at the books

7:45 - She realizes what I am doing, and then wants to take off her diaper herself.  Throws diaper on floor.

7:46 - Refuses to use the potty again.

7:47 - Cat comes in and books are forgotten.

7:50 - Follows cat around, and I suggest we show the cat how we wash our hands (which is really bait for brushing teeth.)

7:52 - Wants to use two toothbrushes (mental note: I need to hide that travel toothbrush).

7:54 - Begin brushing teeth while I brush her hair.

7:57 - Drinks from sink (thanks to Cree for that one.)

8:00 - I put on her diaper and clothing and tell her I'm going to get dressed.  She comes in and puts on my shoes.

8:10 - Wears my shoes downstairs to show the other cat.

8:13 - Begins eating breakfast.  Shoes fall off.

8:15 - I pack diapers and snack for after school (we have a train ride after school to Cree's work!).

8:19 - Finishes breakfast.  I am making some for myself and she starts to play.

8:23 - Plays with stickers.

8:27 - I eat.  She notices that one of her dolls is crying (her favorite emotion to assign) and brings her to me for comfort.  I finish eating with the doll on my lap.

8:32 - Plays with another baby doll & pretend food.

8:35 - I begin packing my lunch.

8:38 - Empties pretend food all over the floor.

8:44 - I put shoes on her and start moving toward door.  I turn off kitchen light.

8:46 - Returns to kitchen to put babies in play shopping cart.  Says, "I need five babies in here."

8:48 - Pushes cart to door, negotiates one baby to take to car.  I take this as a win for me, so out we go.

8:49 - Looks for a leaf on the ground, must take it to the car.

8:50 - Drive to day care & find parking spot 3 blocks away.  Must remember stroller, backpack, my lunch, my bag and coffee.

9:02 - Refuses stroller.  I persuade her by offering a (premeditated) snack.  Gets in stroller.

9:03 - Walk 3 blocks to day care.

9:09 - Get in elevator and move toward classroom.  Gets out of stroller and runs to fish tank.

9:11 - Looks at fish and I hustle her back to classroom.  Kiss goodbye.

9:14 - I return to entrance, sign her in, put away stroller, and walk/run to work.

9:34 - Arrive at work.  Did I mention I had a 9:30 meeting?  Late for meeting.

This is how the minutes are sucked away.  Two hours to get ready and to work?  It's ridiculous, but this is how things are now.  When the new baby is ready for day care, I'm going to have to get up 3 hours earlier than when I need to be anywhere.   Or get a nanny.

A year has passed!

Well, now we're pregnant again!  We're expecting baby #2 in late February, so I was reminded that this blog is a nice way to keep track of the pregnancy.  I came back, and man, it's been a long time.

Q: Can you realistically cover an entire year in one blog post?
 A: No But we can post some photos that show how things have changed!

First bites of solid food (ew! rice cereal!)








Hang on a second. I just realized that TWO years have passed!! That definitely means we won't cover it all. Get ready for the fast-forward version...

Developed obsession with first (of many, many) singing toys from Mammaw & Pappaw.  This one sings some version of the Witch Doctor song and is a dog dressed like a pumpkin.  Ostensibly in the spirit of Halloween.

Got an adorable red satin and velvet fur-trimmed dress for holiday time.

Grew in teeth just in time to chew hands during holiday photos.

 Dressed up as Teen Wolf for Halloween.  Yes, we were in costume too -- as the dad and Stiles.

















Went to Thanksgiving parade here in Philly because we couldn't get it together to go to New York.

Saw the holiday lights at Wanamakers.

Left cookies for Santa!!

Opened xmas presents in pj's.

Turned two, and opened presents again!  A remote control truck! Thanks Pappaw!

Continued love of water fountains.

So that's that. I guess we're all up to date!  More to come soon!

Decision time

I'm back at work, and even though my awesome boss lets me work from home a couple of days each week, it's still hard. I am glad to have the job, and some space from All Baby All The Time Land, but being away from Etta is hard, and then there is the pumping.

I am committed to breastfeeding, and Etta's only had breastmilk (aside from a vaccine and some baby tylenol) since she was born. It's a pretty easy thing to maintain when at home with her all the time, but being back at work puts a new spin on the whole process. I typically have to spend some time pumping several times each workday in order to supply slightly LESS than what she seems to want to eat. I can usually make up the difference by pumping once or twice when I'm home, but the hand pump I have at home is not very comfortable and doesn't seem to be as effective as the Pump in Style (with fashionable backpack!) I keep at work.

When Cree called me yesterday and mentioned that she spilled almost half a bottle I felt my heart drop. That's a lot of invested time and energy, down the drain.

I flip-flop, thinking that maybe a bottle or two of formula a few times a week wouldn't be the end of the world. After all, millions of babies thrive on formula for their entire infancy. It is millions, right? This is usually followed by feeling determined to somehow pump more often so that she won't have to drink formula. The feeling I get when I think of feeding her formula is similar to the feeling I had when I realized I was going to be induced at the hospital, and wasn't going to be giving birth at the Birth Center. It's this weird mix of sadness, disappointment and a feeling of futility.

Cree called back an hour later and played "Wish you were here" by Pink Floyd into the phone. I welled up and listened to the whole thing. She is the best.

Then last night, we had the discussion about implementing formula into Etta's diet when necessary rather than have her hungry and me rushing all around to get home to feed her.

It seems like an easy decision to make, but it's hard to let go of the ideal breastmilk-only situation. But I guess that's part of what parenting is about, realizing that you don't have control -- being flexible, adjusting to new circumstances, and doing what is best for your family (all of us).