Work

I can't say I'm exceptionally happy to be back at work, but I will say that I'm happy the transition was not too hectic! It's been three weeks, so I can officially say bringing my daughter to work is ... working! My office is now complete with a pack-n-play, changing table and bassinet for Eliana to sleep in. You must be thinking my office is HUGE, but those things are all combined into one unit! It's really quite nice. I feel Eliana is safe enough to be left alone while she sleeps, and I carry a baby monitor around with me just in case. I’m so grateful that my husband works with me, too. He is able to play with Eliana on breaks, and check on her if I’m in a meeting or otherwise disposed. I’d say, at least for now, we have a pretty great set-up.

Other than me going back to work, not much has changed. I’m definitely more tired than I thought I would be. Some days I come home from work wishing I could go right to sleep, but I know a night of cooking, cleaning, making bottles and taking care of my daughter is ahead of me. Zach is a ton of help, of course, but there’s only so much he can do! It doesn’t help that it gets dark so early. I hate losing daylight; I always get so depressed when it’s dark at 6pm. Before you know it it’s going to get dark before I even leave work at 4:30! Crazy. But hey, that’s all part of fall, and I do love the season.

Speaking of the season, 4 years ago I got married!! I always knew I wanted to get married in October. Here in New England, the leaves have changed, and the trees are as vibrant as they will ever be. The weather is cool and comfortable and my scarf collection is finally starting to make its debut. Plus, I’ve been given the cutest fleecy fall/winter gear for Eliana, and she looks super sweet all bundled up!

This weekend my husband and I are going for a quick overnight to Newburyport, MA. It will be the first time we travel out of the state with our little peanut, and should be quite the adventure. We will be staying with friends of the family and will get to relax, walk around a quaint little town, see the ocean, eat at yummy restaurants, and have an overall great wedding anniversary trip. There’s something so special about sharing a momentous occasion with our daughter! I can’t believe we are those people already! A family! My FAMILY and I are going to Newburyport! That’s going to take a while to sink in.

To get ready for our short trip, I have to go to the store tonight to get some supplies. Target to be more specific. I must say, I absolutely love Target. Some of the items I buy might be a tiny bit more expensive than say, Wal-mart, or a grocery store, but I don’t care. I don’t know how nice your Wal-Mart is, but mine makes me feel like the total scum of the earth when I shop there. Dilapidated aisles, sorrowful-looking employees, and the truest definition of “raggies” for customers. It’s really quite a shame. I find myself in such a dark place when I go there, it’s seriously not worth the small potential for savings.

Looking back on what I just wrote, I must sound like the rudest, elitist-jerk-face ever!! I apologize if you took offense. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, LOL! I’m normally not like that, but it’s true, and you probably feel the same way if you live where I live. If not, than disregard my last paragraph and let’s move on.

Anyway, the fact that I’m going to Target after work excites me. That might sound pathetic to most of you, but there’s nothing quite like retail therapy, even if I’m only purchasing necessities like formula and diapers. I still love filling up my cart and running that credit card through the register just the same! And I also love shopping with my husband. Do your husbands enjoy shopping with you? Mine may not particularly care for it, you’d have to ask him, but he’s a great help and a funny person to talk to and entertain me as I walk around the store. He also keeps me on track when I wander. Target has a way of sucking you in, and since the sun sets so early, there’s something very daunting about going in when it’s light out, and leaving when it’s dark! “OMG how long was I in there??” ;)

Another thing I get to do before we leave this weekend is pack! Yes, I did say it was just an overnight, but never underestimate how much detail-oriented packing can excite me! Plus now I get to pack for my daughter! (She’s like the gift that keeps on giving!) When Zach and I decided to take this short trip a few weeks ago, I already had a tiny duffle bag in mind for Eliana’s onesies and toys. :) She is going to learn early on how fun proper packing techniques and organization can be! Am I sounding a little obsessive and compulsive? I don’t mean to! Man - what’s wrong with me today?!

I better just quit while I’m ahead. Besides, my break just ended and the baby is sleeping! This is prime working time!! Take care everyone.

xoxo Liz

Maternity

Well, I definitely feel like a parent now. There's nothing quite like a crash course in raising a child! This little peanut is a lot of work, but she brings her father and me so much joy! Eliana is doing well and just celebrated her 7 weeks on earth with us last Thursday. Since I last wrote, this child has done not much other than grow and grow! She's already too big for most newborn outfits, and at least one dress I never had the chance to put her in! Much to my dismay, while getting ready to go to church with Eliana for the first time, I was unable to zip up the silky floral number I had giddily laid out for her debut. Don't worry, she still looked beautiful in her 0-3 month stand in; we've got 2 or 3 more months before she outgrows that one.

Eliana eats about 4 and a half ounces of formula per feeding, about 6 times a day. I was recently reminiscing about the "two ounces, every two hours" schedule that tied us down just a few weeks prior. I can't say I miss that! Those nights were rough, but now we have a great schedule worked out that has me only getting up once per night. I've been trying to go to sleep around 9 or so, and Zach feeds the baby around 11; he's usually up that late anyway, and doesn't mind pushing the feeding back an hour if the peanut is dead asleep or not hungry yet. That leaves the 3AM feedings to me, which I faithfully and only sometimes begrudgingly do, then up again at 7 while Zach gets ready for work. I usually get to lay low, and even sometimes get a quick nap in before noon while Eliana rests, but starting October 7th I will be getting ready for work in the mornings alongside my husband!

That's right, folks ... maternity leave is O-V-E-R. Boy do I wish I could be a stay-at-home mom, but my unavoidable student loans make me a slave to the 9 to 5. (8 to 4:30 to be exact, but you get the idea.) Working at a family company has its perks however, and I am going to give bring-your-daughter-to-work a good ol' college try. I'm not getting my hopes up for this transition to be perfect, but truth be told I don't have another option at this point. My budget no longer allows for luxuries like affordable childcare or two-ply toilet paper. Okay, the toilet paper was a joke, but seriously, I haven't purchased many non-essentials since Eliana was born, and I don't intend to for quite some time. I'll just keep praying for the finances to make ends meet, and to keep Baby happy, and healthy, for a very long time.

Believe it or not, my life is not ALL baby. Okay, okay, yes it is ... but I still like talking about other things! Football for example, I love football. Football reminds me of all things Fall. Cool weather, pumpkin flavored everything, and late nights cheering on my favorite team in the NFL, (which may or may not be 0-4). I'm in a "pick-'em" group with two of my brothers, and it totally adds to my enjoyment of the sport. I'm way more interested in the outcomes of the entire league since I have to correctly predict who will win each game. I can't say I'm exceptionally good at the entire picking process, but I am currently beating both of my brothers, so I've got bragging rights for now!

Today is one of my brother's birthdays! Happy birthday, John! I'm so interested in the way people celebrate their birthdays around me, and I'm sure I've touched on this subject before. Most people in my immediate family truly enjoy celebrating their special day. Growing up, we always made a big deal about birthdays with cake and singing, awesome presents when money allowed it, and cheap tokens of love when money was tight. There was always plenty of excitement leading up to the day, and when it finally came to an end, we felt like we were blessed with another year of life. It seems like a majority of people over 30 don't actually like their birthdays. I know some people hate getting older, and they associate getting older with a birthday, but seriously, it's not like one day you're 29, and the next day you're a whole year older. It's more like one day you're 10,585 days old, and the next day you're 10,586 days old! If you're pissed about getting older, than why aren't you upset about the day after your birthday? I think the day should be more of a celebration of the anniversary of your birth. Does anyone hate celebrating anniversaries? "Aww man, Zach, being married to you for 4 years totally sucks!" Um ... not exactly.

Anyway, back to baby for a minute, I just saw a video of Eliana moments after she was born for the first time! I'm not sure how almost two months went by before I saw it, but Zach was going through files on his phone and started playing some of the videos of the baby. It was not at all what I had expected. Most people's "fresh-out-da-womb" videos/photo are, well ... gross. Instead Eliana was all cleaned up and lying there squirming, letting out little short cries as the doctors checked her. It warmed my heart to finally be a part of that special moment. At the time all that was going on, I was on the other side of the room getting stitched up! Zach also had a video of Eliana staring deep into his eyes in the recovery room before they wheeled me out to bond with my daughter. That moment was special, too! She was already rooting, waiting patiently for her first meal; Zach said he couldn't believe how long it was taking, and felt bad that the baby had to wait so long! And here I thought things moved rather quickly! Still, after watching those videos, I'm convinced people should celebrate the anniversary of the day they were brought into this world; it is nothing short of a miracle.

Until next time,

Xoxo Liz