What a Ride

Back at work - grind grind grind. Lots to do and it took about two seconds for me to get back into the swing of things. I've been at this since July of 2004 so it should come easy.

First things I did were make coffee (crucial), open my new desk calendar and recycle months Jan, Feb and March, turn on my computer and open my email, change my voice mail message, and finally call HUD to ask questions about the most difficult and trying of all grant requests. Darn the government!

Since then I've been slowly going through reports, updating my own version of these reports and plodding through the stack of papers in my inbox. Not too bad, thank the Fates. I pumped at 10:30am and in about seven minutes had eight ounces. Wowza! My mom called around 11am to let me listen to Ian talk and coo. Yup, along came the waterworks. But they were tears of joy, mainly, to hear my boy happy, alert and well-cared for. Jason and I are so lucky!

Today my thoughts keep floating back to the early days with Ian. I'll come across a letter or report dated January 16th, or I'll see a check that came in dated February 10th and I'll think - Man! What was I doing back then? Oh yeah, having the time of my life.

The weather seems to be siding with me today. No sir, the sun won't shine on the day of my return to work away from Ian. It's dark and gray, rainy and stormy. Just like my emotions today. Good thing I'm super busy. Work work work...and more coffee.

One-Sock Ian

Whoa, this blog has gotten stale! Here're a few updates:

He is now on a fairly decent nighttime sleeping schedule. He sleeps around 10pm, and wakes to nurse around 1am, 4am, and 7am. It's gotten so much easier. He feeds for about 15 minutes then falls right back asleep. So efficient!

Also, I've nursed a few times w/o the nipple shields with some success. He still does better with them on - gets more milk in less time, which is good for us both. I have set a goal of exclusively breastfeeding until 3 months at which time I will return to work and my mom will step in as caretaker. I plan tp pump at work but hear that milk supply greatly decreases this way so chances are he will need to be supplemented with formula. If that happens, my next goal is to provide as much breast milk as possible until 6 months. At this time we'll introduce solids so there won't be a big need to milk/formula. I hope to give him my breast milk as a snacky until he's 1 year old. After that, it's whiskey all the way.

He has gotten so big! His hair is coming in reddish-blond, but he still has the dark hair on the top and around the bottom of his head. My mom says he looks like a friar. He smiles a lot, too in reaction to my, Jason's, and my mom's voices. He even laughs a little and talks a ton. Lots of "eh eh eh" and "oooooh." Yesterday, for the first time, he nearly turned himself over in the crib. As I understand it, this is a huge development that happens around this time. And today he's 7 weeks old!

He remains One-Sock Ian - always kicking one off snd leaving the other on. So strange. But, he is wearing some of his 6-month clothing. My! We'll have to start calling him Ian the Gentle Giant. Ho ho ho - gentle giant!

Pump It Up

Tonight I pumped for the first time. I had heard that pumping is difficult in the beginning etc. but I must be blessed. In less than 10 minutes I had an ounce each breast. Incredible! I could have pumped more but I don't want to jack up my supply and end up with engorged breasts. Ouch!

Thanks to Carmen & Betty we were able to purchase a pretty good pump, the Lansinoh Double Electric Pump. Now that I will be buidling up a supply, I'll be able to let J feed Ian now and then so I can get some sleep, and can also take advantage of babysitters so I can go out w/o Ian for longer than 2 hours. Yay!

I also plan to us it at work once I return in April so that my mom can feed Ian my milkies while she watches him during the day. Only the best for my baby!