2014 - Week 31

Monday kicked off a pretty tough week. Back to reality…well, our new reality anyway. Today the big girls return to school full time. Tomorrow, Eliza has her trial day at daycare, followed by two more days (barring any issues of course), then her first day with Mom on Friday. And, finally, Wednesday I’m back to work. It’s going to be hard, REAL hard. I don’t know if it’s because she’s my last, or what, but I’m finding the thought of going back to work much harder this time around. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret our decision to be a dual income family. It is that way for many reasons…financial stability and freedom, personal safeguard on my part for unforeseen circumstances, and, quite frankly, I don’t think I’m cut out for the life of a stay at home mom. But, it’s still hard to leave them. I have no qualms with other people HELPING us raise our children (and I emphasize helping because I think it absolutely ridiculous when somebody says they stay home because they don’t want somebody else raising their children…as if working parents don’t actually raise their kids)…but we have a whole new experience on our hands this time around, having Eliza in daycare part-time, vs. with our mothers. I also can’t yet imagine trying to fit everything in and care for a baby again, on top of work. But, we’ll figure it all out. For today, we started off happy and well rested after a good night’s sleep. Eliza and I made a run to Target to get her daycare supplies (diapers, wipes, cream) and so I could get some food to bring to work for the week, along with a few groceries for home. I finished the day off by making sure her diaper bag was packed and her bottles were ready to go. I had a hard time falling asleep, just looking at my little baby, knowing she was in for this whole new experience the next morning. It was overwhelming, but I’m also excited to see how she reacts. I’m hoping being around other kids and being properly stimulated will be good for her.

Yesterday Eliza was wearing one of my favorite outfits of Amelia's. They fill it out quite differently, LOL

Passed out!

Tuesday was the big day, Eliza’s first day of daycare. Christian dropped the big girls off at the usual time, while I took my time a little bit getting up, getting Eliza up and out the door. I didn’t want to be SUPER late, since I’m trying to get a feel for what a real day will be like for her, but I didn’t want to be in a huge rush either (maybe delaying the inevitable a little bit). We decided to do a trial day since 1) we’re paying for the day anyway, and 2) we thought it would be good to have her first day be when I’m still close by….avoid any breakdowns at work, and I’d be close by if she really lost it, didn’t have enough bottles, etc. Drop off went well. I got her checked in, got her bottles out and ready for labeling. We decided it would be best to let them take her out of her car seat, rather than be do it and have to hand her off, so I gave her my hugs and kisses and took off before the tears could start flowing. I held it together OK, and did pretty well throughout the day, but I did get pretty emotional a few times. It was very strange being in the house without the baby after the last few months. I kept thinking “oh, Eliza is going to be hungry soon”, “I can’t believe Eliza is still sleeping”…I’d take a pan out of the cupboard as quietly as possible. It was just kind of surreal. I spent the day relaxing (as much as I could), checking on the gardens, watching some TV…just gearing up for my first day of work. Much to the shock of daycare (and myself, frankly), I made it just about the whole day before picking her up. She got a great report…she sucked down her bottles, she took a great nap, she didn’t have any breakdowns. She had a great day, and she loved watching all of the other kids. Looks like she likes it…hopefully that continues. But, I couldn’t wait to get her home and cuddle the night away, that’s for sure. I guess one good thing about actually being back at work will be the distraction! Man did I miss that little girl!

Ready for her first day!

Man did I miss her!

Wednesday was it, the last big day of the week…back to work day. Kicking off our new routine, and seeing how everything goes. Luckily Eliza slept well…she went down around 9:30, and was up around 4:00 to eat. That sounds miserable, but it’s actually perfect. I pull her into bed and nurse her, while I doze off a little bit, and she falls back asleep. My alarm goes off at 5:00…I moved it across the room so I actually have to get up to turn it off (finally) after years of being obsessed with the snooze button. I pumped (which went well, I got a whole bottle from the pump, which is the goal and what I used to get with Amelia), started getting my pump packed up for work, and jumped in the shower. While I got half-dressed and did my make-up, the girls’ alarm went off at 5:45 (also new, so they can start getting up on their own and get dressed) and Christian hopped in the shower. The girls watched a video and finished getting dressed, while I got Eliza up, dressed and fed her one last time. Christian finished getting ready, let the dog out, did the big girls’ hair/brushed their teeth, while I finished getting dressed, packed up my work food and finished packing my pump. I loaded up my purse, my pump, my food, the diaper bag and 3 kids into the van, and we were all off by 6:30, again, the goal. The big girls’ drop off is easy right now…we just walk in the door and they go play in the school-age room…in the winter that will get harder when we have to put away all of their winter gear. I brought Eliza in the baby room, checked her in, got her bottles out and said my good-byes. Finally, off to work. I arrived on time, which was pretty impressive. Everybody seemed pretty happy to see me and excited to have me back. I caught up with my work friends and started getting up to speed on what work I had waiting for me (I had some new projects, some projects I was inheriting upon my return, and some projects I was getting back from before I left – which is not a good sign). I checked in with HR to get back on payroll, and I got my access to the lactation room. I sent in some paperwork I’ve been holding until my return…my hospital bill payment, my insurance payment, some thank you cards, etc. One other nice thing about being at work, getting time to do little things like that between tasks. Between that, pumping a few times and the welcome back party they threw for me, I can’t say I got a ton of work done today, but the day went fast, so that’s good. Pumping was successful…I got three bottles plus a little extra, which I’m happy with. She will still need a formula bottle most days, but I’m OK with that. All I know is that I flew home as fast as I could to pick the girls up, I could not WAIT to get some baby snuggles in. I picked up the baby and her bag, picked up the big girls and their daily papers, loaded up the van and we made our way home. I was exhausted, and it was a long day, so we had a pretty quiet night at home. “Ready” to do it all over again tomorrow!

Ready to head out on the first day

Somebody was tired!

Pumpkins or Watermelon, the debate begins

Tonight's harvest. The gardens are doing MUCH better than last years non-existent gardens!

Thursday, day two, and it went well. We had another great night of sleep, which helps immensely. The morning routine went pretty much the same, and I again arrived to work on time. The work day was a little more typical today…quieter, and I started getting back into the swing of things. Today was Eliza’s last day at daycare for the week. Overall, the week went well for her, so I really can’t complain. My energy level is still pretty low, but hopefully I adjust soon.

Quite the love/hate relationship with the pump. It's such an annoying, tedious task..but, it forces me to take my breaks, gives me time to catch up on some gossip magazines, and makes me feel close to my lovebug even when we're far apart (and, of course, nourish her)

My Throwback Thursday photo this week, one of my all time photos of the girls. Talk about perfect timing!

Friday, was not quite as great. Eliza seems to have developed a little cold, or maybe just a random stuffy nose, that kept her up much of the night. Of course, keeping me up much of the night. I woke up feeling like I never really got any good, deep sleep, and it made it VERY hard to get up and going in the morning. I did eventually succumb to the getting-out-of-bed requirement, and got ready for the day, but I was definitely struggling. This Friday is my mom’s Friday off, so she was on Eliza watching duty. She decided it would be easiest to watch her at our house, for now anyway, so I was saved a little chaos not having to get her up, ready and dropped off. Eliza was still sleeping when my mom arrived, so I gave her the run down, and the big girls and I were off. I dropped them off and struggled through the day at work. Quitting time could NOT come soon enough, that’s for sure. But, I will say, my return went pretty smoothly. Other than being tired, we had our little routine down pretty well, and everybody is surviving. Pumping went well, which is a huge relief. I picked the girls up after work and we relieved my mom for the day. I think Eliza was a little fussy – obviously less to entertain her at home vs. at daycare, but it sounds like they had a pretty good day. Christian picked up some food to grill on his way home…I was craving a celebratory brat! Once the girls were in bed, he was off for a couple drinks with a friend, I got Eliza to bed and I settled in to watch a few episodes of “The Killing”.  My friend at work turned me on to this show a while back, and I watched two seasons on Netflix, eventually a third once it ended on TV. The show was then canceled, with a pretty unfinished ending, so it was a big disappointment. Netflix ended up picking it up for a final season, to wrap things up, and it was released today. It’s only 6 episodes, which sucks, but I’m so excited! I only made it through 1½ episodes before passing out tonight though. Shocker.

It's official, we both survived our first week!

Saturday was a pretty good day. Eliza slept in a bit (after a much better night of sleep), so Christian stayed home with her while I was off to swim class with the big girls. Olivia has been doing better and better, just really has to work on keeping her face in the water. Amelia is still a pretty hot mess…she is just so off in lala land all of the time. I feel so bad for her poor instructors all the time, trying to rein her in. Ugh, Amelia! We spent the rest of the day/night hanging out around the house. We had some lunch, the girls took naps, we watched a movie, did a little swimming. I spent most of the day doing some laundry and catching up on some chores (definitely one of the worst things about not being home [outside of being away from baby of course], not being able to do chores during the week). We wanted to stay up and watch a movie or two after the kids went to bed, but that was NOT happening. One day…one day.

She's still not a huge fan of the pacifier, but she'll chew on her burp cloths, blankets and clothes like a champ!

Sunday was a great end to the week. We spent the morning having breakfast, putting away the last of the laundry, packing up, getting ready, and we hit the road on a mini road trip. Today we were off to Zimmerman (which is about 75 minutes from our house) for a birthday party. My nieces, daughter’s 4th birthday…we’ve never been able to make it because her birthday is so close to Amelia’s, and their parties have ended up on the same day, so we were excited to make it this year. AND, my stepsisters were finally able to meet Eliza, which was great! Eliza has always been a little standoffish…gets pretty fussy when other people hold her, a little separation anxiety. She hasn’t been the happiest baby…making it a little hard to hang out with people. I don’t know if it’s being in daycare, or just coincidence, but she had an AWESOME day today. She handled the drives well, she let everybody hold her and cuddle her, she had smiles galore for everybody. It was like a whole new baby. It’s the BEST! Because the drive was sufficiently long, the girls got to watch the DVD player there and back…“Rio 2” on the way there, “Smurfs 2” on the way home. Boy were they excited. We loaded up on snacks on the way there, like our own little drive-in theater. Pretty exciting! We got home around 6:30, and settled in for the night. The girls were exhausted, and I was dreading my first real Monday in months. MONDAY, ick! We watched a little TV, and one by one hit the hay. I will say though, this week will be my Friday off, so I’m glad I have yet to face a FULL week.

Ready for our road trip!

Brought out the baby chair!

Until Next Week XOXO

2014 - Week 30

Monday was a pretty busy day. The big girls were home, and Christian actually took the day off as well. I got to work on my chores for the day right away in the morning…I took Amelia to Target, to pick out a birthday cake and buy a few things, and Party City to order balloons. It’s official, we’re having a pink, girly Hello Kitty party! Once home, and between feedings, I did some laundry and finished getting the basement cleaned up and in order. It was hot, hot, HOT out today, so once I finished up my chores and the girls were up from their naps, we hit up the pool for a while. It was still a little chilly, but not as bad, and I got in there with the girls so they were more willing to get in and play around today. Once it cooled off a bit, Christian mowed the grass (other than baby duty, his main task for the day). Successful day!

Taking a dip with my girls

On Tuesday, the big girls were home again – they go to daycare three days a week right now, so we decided to have them go on Friday, instead of today, so we had the day to do party stuff. It was the last day of having all three girls home with me as they return to full time next Monday (ahead of Eliza’s Tuesday start at daycare, and my Wednesday return to work). We painted our nails, watched some movies and hung out around the house. Just had a pretty relaxing day. One week from today Eliza will have her trial day at daycare, and I just can’t believe it. I’ve been getting a little overwhelmed with paperwork, bills, planning. I’m off of payroll at work right now, so I’m dealing with insurance and parking bills, I still have my hospital bill to pay, we have a bunch of kindergarten paperwork to fill out – turns out Olivia’s medical/immunization paperwork is already late, oops! I still have to have her doctor fill out/sign her forms, and that probably won’t happen until I return to work. There’s just so much going on, on top of getting ready for the party and doing some final planning, and getting ready for daycare and my return to work. It’s just all piling on right now and my brain feels like it’s going to explode most days. I just have to keep reminding myself to breath and that everything is going to work out just fine. Outside of trying to get everything in order and figure out what I need to be doing, it was a pretty low key day. As must as they drive me nuts, I’m going to miss spending more time with those crazy girls of mine!

Seriously, look at that smile!

Painted Nails with the Big Girls

Tummy Time for the babe

Sister Love

Wednesday started off pretty good. Eliza and I were up around 5:30 for a feeding. We finished up just in time to help get the big girls ready and off to school. Christian has been “stuck” with that duty while I’ve been on leave (as I’ve either been up on and off all night with Eliza, or I have just recently gotten back to sleep from a feeding), so I know he loves when I’m actually up and able to help out. He’s getting a little glimpse into my morning routine, LOL. Once they were all off and on their way, baby and I made our way back to bed. I fed her again, and she started to drift off. I took a chance, laid down and tried to fall asleep for a bit myself. Next thing you know, I’m waking up at 9:30, feeling pretty refreshed. It was wonderful. I snuck out of bed so I could fit in some breakfast, a shower and a little alone time, hoping Eliza would still sleep just a tad longer. She sure did, until 11:00! Where has this sleep schedule been my entire leave?!? I’m guessing it won’t happen again, but it was sure wonderful today! The rest of the day was pretty standard…eating, watching some TV, a walk to Walmart, cat naps here and there, dinner when the family got home. The usual. One week from today, it’s back to work for me. So crazy.

Dressed up like my favorite animal today

Thursday was another pretty busy day of getting some chores checked off of the list. First up, Eliza and I made the drive up to the clinic to drop off Olivia’s kindergarten paperwork. I was going to wait, but I know it will take some time to get it back, and the clinic is close to my work, so I’ll be able to pick it up when I’m back to work next week. It was nice to get out for a little drive too. Once home, I spent the day, between feedings of course, cleaning up the bedrooms and finishing up laundry for the week. The house is coming together and we’re just about ready for party day! I have to say, I got some BIG BIG BIG laughs from Eliza today, and it just melts my heart. When they really star understanding, and reacting, it’s such a wonderful feeling. There is just nothing like a big old belly laugh from a baby to put a smile on your face! Once Christian was home with the girls, I made a quick run to Target to get a few cleaning supplies we need to finish getting ready for the party, and to get some treats for Amelia to bring to school tomorrow. My medium baby is almost 4!!!! How did that happen?!?

Selfie with my babe before running errands

Chloe, wishing she could have my peanut butter!

My Throwback Thursday photo this week...just about 3 years ago, a mom I met online, and her family, came to visit us in person. From the moment we met, our families forged a very special bond. They'll be coming back for their since annual visit in a couple weeks and I cannot wait!

Friday was a busy worker bee day. Christian was off work for the day, and we each had a list of chores galore to tackle. First up, I got the big girls up, ready and off to school, Amelia with her birthday treats in hand. I love how excited they get to share treats with their friends, it’s so sweet. Next up, I started hitting my list while Christian was on baby duty. I dusted, vacuumed, swept/mopped and cleaned the kitchen. The basement and the upstairs is officially clean and party ready. All that is left is the entry way, which will get done last minute tomorrow (that’s where the litter box is, so we wait on that). I made my final shopping run – Target for food, Party City for a few decorations, and I was done for the day. I took over baby care while Christian got started on his list. He cut and trimmed the grass, which takes FOREVER when he really does everything, watered everything, then his friend Lorenzo came over to help him start setting up tables and get the garage cleaned up, JUST IN CASE is rains again this year. It’s not supposed to, but we’re not taking any risks again. It was late when all was done, but other than the last minute stuff, we’re ready and that’s pretty rare! I have to share this story though…amidst the cleaning, we were all inside when there was a knock on the door, at 7:30PM. I don’t answer the door, especially for solicitors, so I ignored it. Christian of course can’t restrain himself, so he finally went to check it out. It was oen of those yard care solicitors...Christian opened the door and no lie; the guy asked him if his mom or dad was home. He told the guy he owns the house, we’re in the middle of dinner (lie) and closed the door. When he came up and told me this, I could not stop laughing. I mean, Christian seriously does not age, but I think it’s the first time somebody has ever actually mistaken him for a child. I shared the story on facebook and I’m pretty sure it brightened the day of all our friends and family, that’s for sure. Oh, the joy of being married to an ageless wonder!

Taking a snooze in sissy's bed...

So dang cute!

Heading off to school with birthday treats to share with her friends!

Saturday was finally the day…my middlest baby turned 4, and we were ready to celebrate with family and friends. Oh Amelia, she is pretty much everything you would expect in a middle child. She dances to the beat of her own drum, she’s all drama, she craves attention. She’s a free spirit with way too much attitude for such a little person. She’s a diva, she’s an instigator, but she’s also the first to apologize when she is in the wrong, and she’s sweet as can be. She gives the best hugs, she made me laugh, and she will always me my little best friend. Getting blessed with the privilege to watch these little people grow, and become their own person, will never be lost on me. Amelia Grace, I love you to pieces!

The day was definitely busy. We were up bright and early, starting to get ready. I washed off the table and chairs, along with all of the sand and pool toys. I picked up the yard, getting all of the toys in their proper place, and cleaning up under the deck. With that, the yard was officially cleaned up and ready go to (minus the decorating). Meanwhile, Christian was cleaning up the entry way and getting the girls some breakfast. I finished up some little last minute cleaning, and started getting the food prepared and dished up, so it would be ready to go. I hopped in the shower and got ready (I was NOT getting screwed into not having time to get myself ready, that’s for sure!). Once I was ready, and had the taco meat cooking, Christian got himself ready, then got to work on the rest of his tasks. While I finished the meat and took care of the girls, he and his friend Lorenzo were off to pick up the cake and balloons, and getting the table cloths and decorations out. We were ready and raring to go when our guests started arriving, which is VERY rare for us. All of the kids had a blast playing in the pool, getting dirty in the sandbox and running around with each other. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a kid person, but I LOVE watching the girls running around and playing with their friends. We had a taco bar…my in-laws brought rice and beans from an authentic Mexican restaurant and it was DELISH! We opened presents, smacked the piñata, had some cake. We had lots of laughs catching up with family and friends. The day was absolutely a complete success. I get so stressed out getting ready for parties, but once they’re over, and I can look back at it, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Lorenzo, Olivia’s BFF/her dad, my in-laws and my dad/stepmom all hung out for quite some time, chatting, having a couple drinks and relaxing in the amazing weather, and helped us clean everything up. It was truly a perfect day, from the weather to the guests and everything inbetween. We are so blessed!

Birthday Party Fun!

Sunday was another busy day. Though, it kicked off perfectly following a great night of sleep. Eliza had a bit of a rough time yesterday, with me being busy running around at the party, and all of the new people, she was just a little overwhelmed (and crabby). She did take a couple of good snoozes though, in her swing in the fresh air. Well, the stress and the fresh air must have just knocked her out because she slept great, all night long. I was able to get up and ready for the day before she woke up! Today was no day of rest for us, because today was Olivia’s BFF Bella’s birthday. The big SIX! Her dad found a place to take them horseback riding, so we were all off and running. The stable provided some lunch as a special birthday treat and then the girls got to brush the horses, learned how to lead them, and then finally got to ride them a little bit. Nothing too crazy, just back and forth a few times. Just getting a feel for it Olivia absolutely loved it. The place we went is actually free to ride, they just ask for donations, so we may need to consider bringing them on occasion. Once we were done, we all made our way back to Bella’s house for some swimming and pizza. Eliza started getting pretty fussy, so she and I made our way home for the night and got in some relaxing. I spent some time un-packaging all of Amelia’s new toys…seriously, what a pain! Every birthday, it’s the same thing. Why do toy companies have to torture parents?!? When the rest of the house arrived home, they took a bath quick, and we stopped across the street at Bella’s mom’s house for some cake and singing. Such a wonderful weekend of celebrating, just perfect!

Until Next Week XOXO