A tricky balancing act...

Returning to work and wearing the hat of a "working mom" has been much more of a challenge than I expected. When you are home with the baby, there are so many hours in the day for everything - cuddling with the babe, doing dishes, playing with the babe, doing laundry, kissing on the babe, vacuuming, singing to the babe, grocery shopping, etc., etc., etc. (whether I *did* those chores when I was at home is a TOTALLY different question!) :)

But when you're working... those hours... practically disappear. My "waking" hours at home number about 5-6. In this time I need to shower, dress and get ready for work. Pack my lunch, pack my pump, and squeeze in an early morning breakfast for Andrew. (Luckily I don't have to pack Andrew up yet... but I'll be adding that to my list soon too!) In the evening I need to make dinner, feed Andrew, and make time for my husband. All of that AND get to bed at at decent hour since Andrew will inevitably be needing a "midnight snack" somewhere around 3 a.m.

WHEN am I supposed to shop, clean, cook, etc?!?!? Oh wait... and get some ME time. The past three weeks have been QUITE an adjustment for me. Things I'm learning...
- Dinner can wait. With only about an hour and half of Andrew's time when I get home, before he goes to sleep... dinner... is NOT a priority.
- Shop at odd times. Nap time on Sunday works well for grocery shopping. As does errands/shopping during my work lunch hour. I'm even considering hitting the grocery store one day this week after Andrew goes to sleep.
- Stay up later on occasion. The lack of sleep one night may suck, but catching up/spending time with the husband is well worth it.
- Make use of the time on BART. The days of begging for a seat are over. Now I treasure the quiet. Its practically the only time in my week where no one - not Andrew, not Brandyn, not work is asking something of me.
- Mornings can be productive. I am not a morning person. I've been known to roll out of bed about 30 min before I leave the house. But lately I've been getting up 2 hours before I need to leave. The quiet mornings with Andrew still sleeping are great for dishes, bill paying, or just plain old relaxing!

PLEASE share any other balancing act techniques!!

Blog identity...

What is the A, B and Baby C blog identity? I probably should have thought about that before I started the blog. But at that time... it was really about... ME. My, my husband, our growing baby, and our life. But now the blog has changed to updates on Andrew (which are GREAT in their own right)... but I feel like I've lost my outlet. I have so much going on in my mind right now... about the "same, but different ME," about returning to work, about being a mom, about being a wife, about losing the baby weight and living a healthy life. Hummmm... maybe I need to start a second blog. (Do I REALLY have THAT much time on my hands!?!)

Happy Three-Month Birthday Andrew!!

Two weeks ago Andrew had a quick visit with the Dr. His stats were:
Weight - 13 pds 3 oz
Length - 25 inches

In other developments...
-Andrew rolled over for the first time this month. Well, it was the only time!!! But don't think we haven't been trying our best to see it happen again. I have LOTS of video footage of Andrew getting belly time... wiggling around... only to end up... STILL on his belly... and cranky. ;)
- He is talking, talking, talking. He LOVES listening to and watching people talk. And he tries his best to talk back.
- Andrew is getting LOTS of time with Daddy this month as they hang out during the week together, and if they are lucky... have a play date or two with our friends Matt and Maddy (4 mons).

Easily entertained...

A few weeks back, Brandyn and I sat in awe as Andrew discovered his legs for the first time. He starred at them... grabbed his pants... and watched them move. NEVER would I EVER have thought that could be entertaining. But so is... the life of a parent. Its surprisingly amazing to watch Andrew to the smallest things. Like when he noticed the cats for the first time. They must have been walking past him every day for weeks, until one day... he turned when Linus (the big white one) walked by. Amazing. I can't wait to see what he does to amazes us next!!

Happy Father's Day!!

Daddy


Grandpa C
Grandpa U

Lost and found...

Is it possible to feel both lost... and found... at the same time? That's how I feel today. Today is my second day back at work, leaving Andrew at home with Brandyn. Many thoughtful friends have e-mailed me asking how I feel about going back to work... and while I've thought long and hard about it... its really hard to put into words.

I feel normal... like I'm returning to my "regularly scheduled" life. It feels good to be at work with my friends, feeling needed, feeling intelligent. Yet, at the same time... I feel like I left part of my body, myself back at home. It feels VERY strange to knowing that Andrew is at home sleeping, eating, playing... smiling... all without my knowing, without my watching, without my help.

Maybe I just need a webcam on Andrew at all times... then I'll have the best of both worlds!!

He rolled over!!

He did it! A very exciting milestone! Yesterday afternoon while we were visiting with some friends (moms and babies)... Andrew was on his belly... and then, all of a sudden... he was on his back!! I got no pictures or video! But my camera is set and ready now. And of course, we have not had a repeat performance! :)

The count down is on... again.

And this time... its counting down my final week of being a stay-at-home-mom. That's right... I'm back to work next Monday. So if you have noticed my lack of blog updates... its because I'm trying to cram in as much fun as I can in my last few weeks. Running errands, infant/mom group meetings, lunching with friends, oh, and... searching for a daycare. Luckily... we don't need to rush on the daycare front. Brandyn get out of school this Friday and will get to be stay-home-at-dad with Andrew for about two months before we send Andrew off to meet some new friends! Wish us all luck over the next couple of months!