Tag Nag

Ok. OKAY. Not only am I gonna play the Facebook tag game. But the one zillionith mention of FB has just made me setup my damn profile. Happy? There goes the remaining tiny amount of sleep I was getting!

And, here goes my "25 fascinating things about me" list - sleep deprived style...


1) I was born in New Zealand, and had dual citizenship until I was 18. Yet I have only seen those N.Z. family members three times (Grama) once (uncle) and nonce (uncle, Grampa who passed away). It never seemed weird growing up.

2) I was a national merit scholar, I had a good GPA, I was a good test taker ... and I'm still childishly proud of all that.

3) I'd bite my nails any time - in public, business meetings, probably a job interview.

4) I rarely lie, I've never shoplifted and I don't cheat. I am a girl scout.

5) I have the biggest feet of any girl I know - 10's (probably more if I let 'em). Also I've never owned boots, ever, because of a lil thing I call cankles.

6) I get jealous of friendships easily, but I'm not competitive with my girlfriends in other areas of life because I think someone else being strong does not make me weak.

8) My parents told me once I should be a stand up comic and while I laughed, I secretly believed that was my calling.

9) Having my son shook my whole life to the core where I feel embarrassed that I had so much trouble returning to work compared to other moms I know.

10) I loved Laura Ingalls books to death and reread them for years. I had very serious feelings for the TV "Almanzo."

11) I second guess my decisions constantly.

12) I realize exactly how loud I talk yet most times I just forget (too bad for you, Lisa W, with the whole shared wall and all).

13) Sometimes when I appear unsympathetic, it's really because I'm so upset or emotional about what you're telling me that I don't know what to do for you so I turn kind of, well, off.

14) My husband has a nickname for me that is too embarrassing to tell anyone much less post here...yet I know he genuinely thinks of it as a term of endearment.

15) I love biscuits and gravy like, crazy love.

16) I question liberalism, but could not ever be a conservative.

17) I've been to Rio de Janeiro and while cool, eh, I'd rather do a Destin condo with beer, cooler, babies and friends.

18) I am not certain yet or not if I'm doing now what I'll do for the rest of my career - but for the first time I like my job and that feels like a miracle.

19) I can do a decent impersonation of a lot of people. Maybe YOU.

20) Running a half marathon and getting my MBA are two goals for my 40s.

21) I am closer to my friends than most of my family and yes, that bothers me sometimes.

22) I have an awful throw up reflex. If I do it once, forget it - it'll be 20 times until I'm about dead. New Year's was ... unpleasant.

23) I boss my husband around in public, but his opinion carries the most weight on many many decisions around our house.

24) I draw well - give me a B&W photo of your kid, I'll draw him up good.

25) I am apparently not self aware because I'm having a VERY hard time with this list.

Out of the Mouths of ...

I don't think I share enough with you all how damn funny my kid is lately.

Me (changing his diaper): Okay, we're going to do this and then read books and go night night.

Him: You have GOT to be kidding me.

Me: Um, what?

Him: You ARE kidding me!

Me: (laughing at this new expression that I'd never heard before and wondering where it came from...)

Him (appreciating me laughing): NO PROBLEM! NOOOOO problem.

Me: (lauging even harder because, is he just tossing our terms now?)

Him: (catching on to what's making me laugh): Oh, it's not a BIG deal...

Me: (OMG laughing ... he IS just rolodexing through catchphrases he hears us say)

Him: Mom, it IS a big deal! It IS.

Me: (Yep, and that certainly sounds like one of mine ...)

So, I don't if this translates a funny, but just picture a Yakov Smirnov type character trying out American phrases randomly and inappropriately.

Now picture that coming out of my sweet chubby faced 2 year old, grinning with glee at making tears come out of his momma's eyes.

At this age they so often say stuff, that is just ... so damn funny ... you can't help wanting to share. But then I get busy. About 10 times a day, I wish for a new mobile device that could translate the words from his mouth, to Twitter or blog. Now THAT's a mobile device I REALLY need.

So, Blackberry and iPhone techno geeks ... you want the mommy bloggers to buy? Consider the "instant toddler translator" app.

Hump Day Indeed

You know when you're having a super busy week and you don't know if you're wishing it away (weekend) or to drag out (deadlines)?

That is my day, week, hour. Wish me luck surviving Hump Day and beyond. And wish me many cocktails on Friday night.

Day 2

I'm posting two days in a row. Hooray!

I have eaten appropriate quantities of non-grease laden, candy-coated, chocolate-drizzled foods for two days in a row. (Tip: I'm dieting fo' real like one billion other people this time of year.) Yippee!!

I also have not pumped for two days now and WHOOOOPPPPPEEE that's the big one. It freed up at least an hour if not more of my day today, between the before work and during work ones I skipped.

Instead I used that time to catch up with co workers about holidays, and grab a coffee. SO productive, right? But it's those 45 minute snatches that stole my limited amount of "me" time.

And, when I don't apply that 45 minutes to a lunch or break at work (and most times I don't) I could sort of transfer it to the night times ... and most of that I used for blogging. Which I've missed.

And not just posting. Though I'm behind - my God, I'm behind and you people are probably just lost aren't you? I know. But seriously, I've missed the reading and commenting. I'm completely behind on the lives of the friends - and total strangers - that I follow online, and I miss it.

So the pump's down, the laptop's up, and I'm sure my viewing public is grateful. Right?

(By the way, I assure you the posts will become increasingly less about my boobs or what comes out of them. Another fringe benefit for you, my dear readers.)

A Fresh Start

It's obviously been far too long since I've blogged. I'll have to catch up on Christmas, Thanksgiving ... just about all the good stuff of the last couple months ... as I can. But in the name of the new year and making a fresh start, I wanted to just get back on the horse and post.

And thought this was a good a topic as any: I'm going to stop breastfeeding Rachel, probably tomorrow.

I've been able to feed her myself once, maybe twice, a day since I returned to work. I've been able to pump once or twice a day at work and maybe another time at home. The result is I've kept her on about at least 50/50 formula/breast milk combo or better the last 4 months.

It's been nice for my sanity returning to work. I never found it missing with Matthew, but it has helped me feel a close tie to her even after returning to work. It's also been helpful for weight loss (until the holidays hit, that is. But lactation can only do so much against 1,000 Christmas colored M&Ms.) AND it's saved us money. Yesterday at Sam's, Mike was like, "Hey, didn't we spend more on formula for Matthew?" And I'm like, "Uh, gee, yes, because I wasn't killing myself squeezing my boobs at work once or twice a day at work for a 'break' while my coworkers are at Starbucks." (Postscript: We left the store with giant vat of the Sam's brand, at 40% less than brand name. The doc and a couple good friends gave it the green light, so why would I pay more?)

But honestly, I'm not complaining about the pumping ... it's just, my body is. Basically, my boobs are telling me we're done. My pumping schedule's never been stellar since I was never fully committed to a certain length of time. Six months for at least some nursing was a loose goal, nothing more. Then over the holidays, surprisingly when I technically HAD more time (off work for two weeks) life and family and kid care taking and well, just relaxing, got in the way, pumping and nursing sloughed off, formula ramped up ... and here we are, with me not even making enough for a full feeding for her anymore.

Yep, it DOES feel sad. I mean, this morning took 45 minutes (because she's getting more alert, and plays around) and after all that we STILL had to feed her a small formula bottle because the poor thing was screaming when she should be sleeping, and then we realized she was still really hungry.

So I know it's time. And it'll make my life a bit easier, I know. But tonight as I washed some of my pump bottles for maybe the last time, and pulled the empty milk storage container out of the freezer, I wondered, do I do this one last time tomorrow? Or was this morning's rather unceremonious last time, it?

I'm not sure, but like everything else with this breastfeeding odyssey, and me, and Rachel, we'll just play it by ear, and see how we feel, tomorrow.

Beware the 100 lb Baby

Last night I fed Rachel around 8:45. I knew it probably wasn't enough, since I'd pumped just a bit earlier - I'm still working out how to synch up feeding/pumping schedules, obviously.

Anyway, I of all people know a girl doesn't like to be hungry, so I bottle fed her another 3 oz. of breast milk. There, that oughtta be enough.

Two hours later, she wasn't sleeping well and my husband (his turn on bedtime duty) was losing his you-know-what. So I sleepily mumbled, "You could always feed her a little more ..." and rolled over.

A bit later, he came to bed, quite proud of himself I asked what he did and he said, "I gave her another 4 oz of formula, THAT oughta do it."

So, my 14 week old baby drank, oh, I'd say, 8 or 9 oz last night.

I suspect she'll be ready for Weight Watchers by the time I get home tonight ... as Daddy has off school and is caring for her today.

And It's On: GoooooOOO CHRISTMAS!

I cannot believe it's December 2. Mainly, this is because I now have license to full on finish my shopping, as well as to decorate my house in the red and green and silver and pine obnoxiousness that I have been envisioning since we moved in.

You see, this year, we have a fireplace. I now have matching stockings for our family (VERY critical) and I get to buy those cute silver thingees that sit on the mantel to hang the stockings from. (A nickel to anyone who knows their official name?) I see a festive trip to the Target Christmas crap aisle in my future.

I also now feel fully licensed to indulge my impulse to rush out and buy a tree this week. And to begin "gently urging" my husband to put up lights. (I actually got butterflies in my stomach last night contemplating this: we get to develop a NEW lighting scheme. What we did on Suffolk was always kinda, eh.)

Anyway, I'm thinking this isn't too early because I've seen trees through windows, lights on houses, wreaths on porches, all around my neighborhood and on our drive home from Warrensburg from Thanksgiving. Even though my husband thinks me, and they, are all nuts. I suspect his preference would be stringing lights up around the 22nd and having Santa help take them down on the 25th.

In addition, although I have about half my shopping done, this reminds me, GAH, I have about half left. Which seemed so manageable until I now factor in work getting busier the next couple weeks, including a 3 day biz trip (sigh: guess that stupid wood knocking doesn't work after all). And that my LeBaige family Christmas will be early on the 20th.

We may be in a recession, but my Capital One card will not know that as I work its little butt off next few weeks.