Friday, January 20, 2012

Back to work!

Well, it's official. My maternity leave is over. The J-dog turned 9 months yesterday, so I guess that's a pretty good run. I am very thankful that I had all that time to spend with him, non-stop, and to really get into the whole mommy thing. But I have to say that it was actually good to get back to work. I wasn't too thrilled about it on my first day back, this past Tuesday, but by yesterday, I was much better. I am very lucky to only have to go to campus two days a week. Just like the schedule I had last spring when I was pregnant, it is two very intense days but then I am home the rest of the week. Of course I am still doing plenty of work from home, but to be here with him during that time is great. (I am going to have to start doing more work in the evenings and weekends though, but no big deal.)

We have a very fun, young and enthusiastic babysitter. I don't really want to call her a nanny because she doesn't really have that vibe. And she knows that this is a short-term gig, just through the semester. I'll be off for the summer and then we will re-evaluate our childcare needs. Plus we are hoping to move over the summer...where is still to be determined. Anyway, for now this is a good situation. She is silly and plays a lot with him, plus sings songs and brings various instruments to play for/with him.

In terms of eating/drinking, things are going pretty well. I was worried because he wouldn't take a bottle and doesn't do great with a sippy cup. We saw the doctor on Wednesday for his 9 month appointment, and she recommended that we keep trying the bottle at this point, because he wouldn't be able to get enough from a sippy cup for quite a while. She said we should just keep trying it. Sure enough, on Thursday morning he took a bottle of breastmilk. Hooray! The only problem is that I have not stockpiled very much at all (already used it this week in fact) and while I did decide to try to pump at work, so far I've only managed to get 2 ounces each day. So I'm doing it more to keep my supply up than to produce milk for him. Which means he's going to have to start drinking formula as well. I'm thinking of mixing the two together at first, and then gradually cutting down on the milk. Does anyone have experience with combining breastfeeding with occasional formula bottles?

Developmentally, things are a lot of fun. He is "crawling" (on his belly still), but can really get around. While he hasn't pulled himself up to standing, he loves to pull up on the couch arm if we are sitting there together. Today he learned how to open the kitchen drawer next to his highchair, and before I even noticed had pulled out the bottle opener. At least it wasn't anything sharp! So now I'm on alert. He has also been teething, and though nothing has popped out yet, the doctor said she could feel it right under the surface. When she pointed it out to me, I could actually see the outline. So really any day now I think. He hasn't been too fussy, though last week he did have a particularly bad day. I'm not used to him crying or fussing, so to have him keep breaking out in tears is new for me. But he is doing mostly better now.

Overall, he is a lot of fun. He laughs and claps his hands, and loves playing with all the new toys and books he got for Christmas. He is really enjoying our music class, which is now with the mixed ages group. Again, he claps along to the music and bounces.

A final note - as I was writing this entry, I heard him wake up and peeked on the video monitor - he was sitting up! I have only seen him get himself to sitting once before, on Wednesday morning. So this is a new thing. Every day brings something new and exciting. I just hope I don't miss anything too big on the days that I am away from him.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year! The J-dog's first Christmas was full of travels, lovely sunny weather, lots of California family, oodles of gifts and lots of joy. As always, he was a perfect trooper on the trip, napping on cue and delighting in meeting lots of new people. And of course, of all the gifts we received this year, the J-dog tops them all.

The little guy is getting more and more mobile everyday. Sitting up is a breeze now, and though we still put a pillow behind him to catch him if he falls, he can now usually catch himself. The expression on his face when he realizes he is about to fall is priceless. And while he can't sit himself up yet, he can transition from sitting to lying on his belly. If he sees something that he wants on the other side of his play mat, he will roll from sitting onto his belly, and then either roll over several times like a log until he gets to it, or scoot himself forward like an army guy, pulling himself with his elbows and pushing with his knees. Still not exactly crawling though. But we are going to be buying him a play yard fence for the living room very soon. We did lower his crib mattress to the lowest setting because he is also just about ready to pull himself up to standing. He has been practicing in his little bathtub, where he grabs the front of the tub and pulls himself up, doing a naked imitation of Le.onardo DiC.aprio in T.itanic - "I am the king of the world!"

Although the little guy doesn't know it yet, I am getting ready to go back to work in just two weeks. I have very mixed feelings about it, but am lucky to have to teach only 2 days a week, so we can still have lots of good quality time on all those other days. We have hired a very nice and energetic young woman to take care of the J-dog on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now we just need him to master using his sippy cup so he can have formula a couple times a day (he still refuses to drink from a bottle, so we are moving straight to the cup). Though he still hasn't had more than a few sips in this manner, I assume that when I'm not around and he has no other choice, he will drink it. If not, he is a big eater and will survive on his formula mixed with cereal, veggies, fruits, yogurt, tofu, turkey, chicken and the like. I know that he will not starve. Wish us luck! (And if anyone has any suggestions to help with this matter, let me know.)

As I said above, I have very mixed feelings about going back to work. It is so strange to think that I have not been in the classroom since mid-April. In a way I do miss it, and I miss having a reason to get dressed up and leave the house. I miss my colleagues and having grown-up time. But all of that pales in comparison to how much I am going to miss the J-dog on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will have to leave right after he gets up in the morning, at 7:30, and won't be home until just before bedtime, at 6. I know so many people have to work that long every day of the week, and I am so lucky to have had the chance to stay with him as long as I have, as well as to have a two day schedule. Plus, it is only for a few months this time around, until early May, and then it will be summer again. We'll deal with the next semester when the time comes, but there is a good chance that some changes may be happening in our family. Good changes. But more on that later.

Once again, a wonderfully happy new year to you all. For those of you who are still struggling to reach your dreams, I hope this will be your year.