Workin' Mama

I started back to work this week...dreaded work. The first day was wonderful, or as wonderful as it could be. I was showered with love and gifts. My fabulous sister and in-laws got be the most beautiful flower arrangements. Dr. Mooney bought everyone lunch. Amanda got me the prettiest tulips and a starbucks gift card, and Cristell got me chocolate, a gas card, and Jack a valentine. It was too, too much! Day 1 went well. Mom and Dad were down to take care of Jack so I didn't worry a single second. Mom sent pictures all day and I knew he was in the best of hands.

Haha, Jack's says "shave those whiskers buddy!" :)

Day 2, not so much...we didn't have anything to do that day. Dr. Gross wasn't there so no patients, and I was just sitting in my office wishing I were home. Not to mention that on the slow days, everyone will come by and chat. So, of course, the topic of conversation was Jack (made me miss him more) and how I should try my best to work from home, cut my hours, be a stay at home mom. It was so stressful. One person would say they stayed with their baby until he was 10 months, the other said she thinks its worth it to work part time, the third said that if they made the money Justin and I did, she would absolutely quit and stay home. Yikes! Near meltdown avoided by me going home at lunch to snuggle Jack. I fed him and put him back down and he slept until I got home that afternoon. I didn't miss a thing! It reassured me that I could do it! I went home early on Wednesday and then Thursday I worked all day but was off Friday. Not bad at all! Especially when I consider my loans are being forgiven and the pay checks are going to start rolling in. :)

Before I forget, we have a new neighbor. A new neighbor with dogs...grrrr...the dogs. The dogs that bark NON STOP! The dogs that bark when people walk by, when cars drive by, when planes fly over head. They bark in the morning, they bark during the day, they bark at night! Last night they woke me up at 2am barking when their owner got home! The owner comes in late every night for only a few minutes to let them out and then he is off again. I'm not sure if he just stays out late or works multiple jobs. I do know that he comes in very late at night with his music entirely too loud. I want to strangle those dogs! They've woke Jack up on several occassions and are barking as I type. It makes me want to start hanging pictures with many, many nails at 4am when I am awake with Jack. It is getting out of control. It's been two weeks of NON STOP BARKING! I don't know what the owner is supposed to do but I'm going to have to mention it to him. Maybe he can move the dogs kennels to another room. Or maybe he can put a quilt over the kennel to muffle the sound. Ehh, or maybe we can move into a house! :) Jk. It would be wonderful especially considering Jack hears every little thing we do here. Justin can't make coffee in the morning without waking him. We can't do dishes without waking him. It's super frustrating. 

Okay, that rant is over. Back to more important things. Jack laughed for the first time with mom on Valentines Day, in case I forgot to mention. She was tickling him and he let out this big belly laugh. So cute! Then I was nibbling on his ribs on Wednesday and he laughed again. It is the sweetest sound! I think Jack is going through a growth spurt too. He is eating nonstop and the other night I was giving him a bath and could have sworn his legs where longer and his belly was rounder!

 And the last thing worth mentioning is that our chair came in for the nursery!! I am so pleased with it! The color is very neutral and the pattern is fun and whimsical. It has a big swirl pattern that reminds me of a kite tail in the ocean breeze. Yep, no joke, that's what it reminds me of :) It also reclines. I see many-a-nap in this chair in my future.

Justin liked it too! Now the nursery is almost done. Just a few pictures, a book rack, and a little arranging the bookshelf. We'll be complete! Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

My Funny Valentine

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Mom came into town to see her Jack and they spent the day snuggled up on the couch just talking/cooing about life. He ate when he wanted, napped in her arms when he wanted, and got the paci when he wanted. They played, they sang, and cuddled the day away. What a wonderful day. What a lucky little baby.

Mom left around 5pm and Justin came home with tulips (because he knows I hate to watch expensive cut flowers die in three days) that I could plant in the yard and watch come back year after year, a funny card, and dinner. He made the most delicious scallops with a white wine reduction sauce, sauteed spinach, all over brown rice and quinoa. I'm telling you, it was absolutely delicious! I pureed strawberries to put on our prosecco. It sweetened the wine and made it pink. It was pretty yummy too. The only casualty was the bag of spinach that Justin sat on the lit candle, melting the bag :)

Then we ate dinner, at the dining room table with Jack sitting on the table in his bunny chair, and had such an enjoyable evening. I love eating at the table and for some reason (mostly laziness) we rarely do. I think we should get in to the habit of eating at the table more and not around the TV. It just helps to set the tone of family time, and how it is something special to be treasured.

Today was my last official day of maternity leave. I didn't cry. I already miss this baby and having the entire day to spend cuddling him, smelling his sweet slobbery neck, counting toes, singing and dancing...I am heartbroken to think that I'm going to miss even one smile or coo. It has been such an amazing time. The best and most precious time of my life to date. Monday will be difficult but I'm going to be a big girl. Justin bought me a photo and video frame to fill with pictures/video of Jack and keep in my office. It was the sweetest and most thoughtful gift! Say a little prayer that Monday goes well. Gotta run, baby boy is stirring.

11 weeks

Our last week of maternity leave...so sad. Jack will be fine, it's his poor mama I'm worried about ;) Ms. Corvetta came by this week for a few hours a day to take care of Jack. It was a little touch and go the first day as everyone was getting to know one another. Jack didn't seem to like the idea of eating out of a bottle, or being fed by someone else, so he was a little fussy but he did wonderfully by the second day. He was smiling and talking to Ms. Corvetta when she fed him and read to him. I got good pictures too. She really took to him and was able to ready his signals and put him down for a nap without any problems. I was so relieved to see everyone adjusting well.

Look who is holding his bottle!

Reading about Harold and his purple crown. Ms. Corvetta turned the main character into "Jack" and his purple crown :)

He is still playing up a storm...

Jack's sleep changed a bit this week too. Justin and I decided to give our new schedule a try. One night we (sort of accidentally) put Jack to bed an hour or so later than usual and amazingly, he only woke up once at night instead of his usual 1am and 4am times! Mommy and Daddy were pretty pleased with that! Extra sleep works for us!

My baby is only getting up once now around 2:30 every night. And he's not a bit "crabby" ;)

He still loves bath time! And I love any chance I get to see those rolls and that dimpled hiney! :)

Last week home

We're coming up on the last week of maternity leave. Super sad about it. I have to keep reminding myself that I am one lucky lady to have spent 12 weeks with my boy. Plus I get to go back to a job that is only four days a week, pays really well, offers loan forgiveness, and is flexible enough that, if I needed to, I could take off in short notice should Jack get sick or something come up. My coworkers text me often and everyone seems like they are looking forward to having me back. I'll try to keep crying to minimum that first week. I am so thankful that my parents are going to come down to stay with Jack on my first day back. I won't have to worry about a thing and mom offered to bring Jack to see me over my lunch break. I may have to take her up on that :) Below is Jack in the cute bib his cousin Haleigh got him.

This week, Corvetta is coming to stay with Jack Tuesday-Friday. It will help us all get used to one another and to the idea of leaving him with her. She is super nice and I'm looking forward to having the help in the coming week. Justin and I are also going to try out our new schedule starting at some point this week. He'll take the 1am feed, and I'll take the 4am. Then, I'm going to get ready as if for work after that. Corvetta isn't coming at 7:30, but instead 8am, and I'll do something outside the house every day. Practice makes perfect. And I'll try not to "creep" on him all day with the baby cam.

Jack is still really enjoying his baths. Look at all those rolls! I love them. He's not quite splashing around in the water yet but he loves to have water poured over him.

My last week, I plan to gets lots of cuddling in. Here is picture of him this past week during our afternoon nap together.

Jack is so much fun. He is really jabbering up a storm. My little chubbers is also playing with toys for real. He gets his little hands on them and pats, rubs, pushes, etc.

Super cute. He's also started noticing his reflection in the mirror in the front hall. He likes that baby in the mirror ;) Please ignore my goofy smiles.

10 weeks

Today our boy is 10 weeks old and I have exactly 9 weekdays left of maternity leave. I am going to miss this little boy so much. Good news is we found a wonderful nanny through our nanny service. I was able to narrow the search and Justin met both ladies that I really liked. He pretty much made the final decision based on experience. Corvetta is her name. She has nannied for several families for years at a time, she has a degree in child care and ran a daycare in her home for a few years too. I am checking her references now and hopefully she can start next week to give me a little time away so I can get used to the idea of leaving Jack.

Sweet Jack is getting bigger and bigger. Chatting up a storm, which is the highlight of my day. That and our afternoon naps together. He's the best snuggler! Below was a particularly fun chat session...

Here is the video...

Last week, I thought he was going to drop one of his feeds (either the 1am or 4am) but no dice. He has been up like clock work for both. I don't mind at the time, but it certainly catches up with me when he's ready to get up at 7am :) I like our nighttime rendezvous when I pick him up out of his crib and he immediately stops crying, like he was calling me and then he'll grunt and coo at me as if to thank me for rescuing him. So, so sweet and I'll miss that so much when he finally is sleeping through the night. But, I do have to say, I'm nervous about how I am going to cope with this lack of sleep when I go back to work. They tend to frown on afternoon naps. This week I got an ear impression in my arm after one of our naps :)

This week Justin has been working very late nights which has been tough. We cant wait until this project is over! We've also been considering the possibility of moving away from Charleston. As much as we love it here, we are very isolated from family and don't want Jack to miss out on being able to grow up near grandparents. Plus Justin thinks that being in Columbia will be better for his career. I am going to start looking to see what jobs are in the area. If it's meant to be, then God will just pave the way for us.

I'm not sure why, but this week we have had several diaper blow outs. He is still fitting them well so I don't think it is time to move to size 3 but it has definitely made for more laundry. This morning the blow out was all in our bed. :) Morning thunder we call it.

He is still a happy baby and does very well in public. Justin and I got to enjoy a nice dinner at Rita's on Folly Friday night. Jack snoozed away and when he woke up, he just enjoyed checking out his surroundings until we finished up. Yesterday at the DMV, he was awake for the whole trip and didn't make a peep.

The weather here is gorgeous! Spring is in the air! Can't wait for Easter!!