Thursday, September 10, 2009

August/September updates


So, it's not so much that I've been too busy to blog (although I really don't have any free time), it's more like I don't have much to blog about. There is nothing going on that is all that exciting. Here is all I can think of:


I ended my 13 weeks of maternity leave with a week of jury duty. I really thought I wouldn't get picked. I figured, what judge and lawyers would want me on their jury. I'm a nursing mom and would need to leave the courtroom every 2 hours to pump. Well, the judge apparently didn't see that as a hardship, and I did tell him that as long as I could pump during a morning break, lunch break and afternoon break, I'd be OK. We started late most mornings and obviously got a lunch every day. Whenever he thought about breaking in the afternoon, he'd look over at me and ask, out loud mind you, if I was OK or if I needed a break. So, everything worked out for me. It was a joke one day as we came back from our lunch break late. A few other jurors were afraid we wouldn't get an afternoon break so I told them to signal me if they needed to go to the bathroom and I'd get the attention of the court crier. The signal...they imitated milking a cow then grabbed their boobs. So funny - it made me laugh out loud. Fortunately, it was a much more casual courtroom than I expected. We found the defendant guilty, and I'm waiting to hear what his jail sentence is.


With that, Aaron and I are doing well with the breastfeeding thing. He is taking a bottle for daddy great everyday while they are home together. I feed him from the breast for every other feeding, except occasional times if we are out and I know it would be a little difficult to feed him myself. So far, all breast milk, no formula! Woo hoo! I have a feeling that is going to end soon, but somehow we keep getting through another day! I'm really happy that we've gone this far. With Ben, I started supplementing at 3 months, when I went back to work. It helped this time, that I started pumping early and began a frozen backup. If I could get to 6 months with no formula - wow! That'd be awesome!


Work has been going well. I actually enjoy going because it gets me out of the house. I absolutely adore my kids and miss them when I'm not with them, but I really have no free time (as mentioned) so working almost feels like my free time.


Ben moved up to the next room at daycare. He moved up early. We were concerned because there have been several teacher changes at school, not to mention the change at home of having a baby, and now this is another change. We wanted to make sure he wasn't being moved up because they just needed room in his old room. They said he is ready for the new room. There are kids there that he already knows that were moved up previously, and four other kids moved up with him. He's doing great with potty training at school, and they think his communication skills are good, but will improve because there will be older kids that speak well, and he'll learn from them. J.R. and I have both had conversations with the new teachers and checked out the new room. Ben really likes it. There is a bucket of cars, so of course, he heads to that first thing every day. There are dinosaurs to play with, a construction corner, a book corner and there is a computer that they are going to let him play around with too. They are also going to teach him another language. I'm sure it won't be anything he'll be fluent in, I'm thinking more like teaching him hello, 1 2 3, etc. After all, he isn't even fluent in English yet!


Aaron gave us a scare a few weeks ago. He had a fever and a rash so J.R. took him to the Dr's. While there, Aaron started screaming and wouldn't stop. The Dr. wanted blood work so J.R. took him to CHOP because the blood work results would come back immediately. Apparently, fever, rash and screaming can equal meningitis. Fortunately, J.R. fed Aaron and he calmed down, and CHOP didn't need to take blood work. It's just a rash that they commonly see in the summertime. Phew. Two kids, two ER visits, one summer. I'm done!


We found a new apartment. It's not far from where we are now. The living room is bigger, so I'm very excited that I'll actually be able to have guests over. I'm looking forward to having a stamp party, and to having some of my student e-boards over for dinner/mentoring. The boys room is bigger too, so Aaron can actually go into his own room (well, with his brother) instead of staying in his pack and play in our room.


The past three nights I've been putting Aaron down for bed around 8:30 PM. He'll wake up 1 1/2-2 hours later, then around 5 or 6 am, so he's not quite ready for that early of a bedtime, but he'll get there! He's really a good sleeper. Most nights he does sleep all night. Ben's been sick with a fever for the past two days, so he's been sleeping with me. I've put Aaron in the crib to get him used to it, but end up putting him back in the pack and play after Ben falls asleep. Hopefully in the new place, I can get Ben to start going to bed earlier.


Well, for having nothing to say, I've said a lot. I guess there is more going on than I thought!