Ho hum and hum drum.

So, not many updates lately - mostly because I've been too busy with things that are downright mundane (work, cleaning house, homework, etc...).

I am pretty excited about a new job prospect however. Last Wednesday, Kain and I went to Julio's to eat. I've been trying to think of how to bring up to Pam that I want to work on their website forever, and I finally mustered up the courage to say "Oh, I saw that you guys had a website, but you should really add more information!" She responded that a friend of theirs did it for them, and wasn't aware that a lot of things they wanted up (like reviews from Food & Wine, and the NYT) weren't there at all. Then she asked "You don't happen to know anyone who could get in touch with us, do you?" I was in HEAVEN. I'm supposed to call this upcoming Tuesday morning (8:30am - ouch.) to work out a time when I can go sit down with them with things they'd like up, as well as I mentioned I'd do some photography for them as well.

Also, The Husband and I have decided to try to go vegetarian, with the addition of fish and seafood. We had talked a few weeks ago, about how Americans (and Europeans, after all, that's who we get it from) tend to make meat the center and focus of our meals, when really it should be vegetables and whole grains. Additionally, a few of our friends are vegetarian (for various reasons), and one said that if we make it through the first 40 days, then we'll be fine. I'm pretty excited, and we're already 4 days in...so far no meat cravings - we'll see what I think in a few weeks from now - but I feel like if I can have lobster, then I can give up my lamb.

Speaking of photography, I need to charge my camera battery...

Humidity.

I took this right when we got home today...he sleeps so soundly when we're out. :)

I have always hated humidity. HATED. My feelings have not changed. Allow me to elaborate.

Xave and I went downtown again today, and there is a significant difference between walking downtown 8 months pregnant, and not pregnant with a large jogging stroller. For one, although walking up hills was not enjoyable with an enormous belly, it was not nearly the trial of pushing a 30 lb stroller up a hill after your calf muscles are not nearly what they were 10 months prior. Add in some heavy humidity, breasts that feel like they might smother your own face (let alone your child's), and hills that feel like if they were any steeper they would have mountain goat rentals for transportation and it can be a pretty trying experience. Opening doors is also quite a feat I have yet to master - I'm thinking the skill of opening a door while simultaneously wheeling a stroller into said door will take a bit of practice to master. However, it should be noted that a gigantic belly does not have space to put the wine you purchased nor a cup holder or your double latte with a splash of orgeat syrup. So, there are some trade offs to be considered.

This past Sunday, when I went downtown to go to Mass, I carried Xave in a front carrier. This went well, except for the fact that the term "Bun in the Oven" infers that you are the oven, and the baby is the bun. I beg to differ. The amount of body heat this little guy puts out is enough to cook an Italian style pizza in less than 3 minutes. Every since we got home, he's been clamoring for me to hold him (and I oblige), even though we're both sweaty messes...It makes me recall back when I was a kid, always wanting to get on my mother's lap, and my mother going "No, it's too hot!" I used to think "It's not that hot. I want to be held." and now I think that children simply have no concept of body heat transfer...not that a 6 week old baby would anyway...but...well, you get the point.

Regardless of the humidity, our downtown trip went well (as usual). He slept the entire time, and I bought some things I wanted - mainly more flannel fabric for my Grandmother to make me more receiving blankets. She made me probably 4 or 5 for my shower, and they are the best thing ever. All of the store bought receiving blankets are too small, and when we try to swaddle him in them, he kicks out of them almost immediately. With hers, we can wrap him up so tightly, he just tuckers himself out to sleep when he fights (hah!). I am so lucky to have a Grandmother who can sew...

The fabric I picked out. Super cute, right?!

There have been a considerable lack of blog posts lately...things have been rather tumultuous here. The Husband is swamped with getting ready for the conference this weekend, I have tons of homework and work work, our lawnmower, washer, and The Husband's cell phone all died within a week, among other things... Blogging and photography have taken secondary priority (obviously?).

The Husband took this the 19th, he was laughing about how we were matching.

A few more firsts...

Yesterday, was my first rough morning. I wasn't paying attention to my caffeine consumption, and that's what I'm going to blame it on.

To begin with, Xave and I didn't go to bed until 2am - other than that there was nothing out of the ordinary, as he had slept off and on throughout the day and evening. Then, he was up at 5am (again, totally normal) - however, he wouldn't go back to bed. I stayed up with him until about 7am, when I had thought he had finally worn himself out. I laid him down in the co-sleeper and thought "Oh, The Husband is going to work today, I'd better grab a shower now while he's home and Xavier is asleep." So, I hopped in real quick, and when I got out, I noticed The Husband was now in the living room with a crying baby in his swing. I felt terrible, since I had thought he had went to bed and I knew The Husband had to get up in the morning, where I was just going to be at home. Insert major guilt trip as a wife here.

The Husband felt that I was a little frustrated, and he shooed me off to bed, and watched the baby (cry in his swing). I got about an extra half hour of sleep here. We then determined that Xavier was hungry again, so he brought him in to me, and by this time, The Husband was awake and decided he would just go to work now. After this 8am feeding, Xavier calmed down a bit, and I got another hour's worth of rest (total: 4.5 hours worth of sleep).

When Xavier woke up again, I decided I was going to pump while I fed him. This was the first attempt at feeding my baby and pumping simultaneously...alone. It did not go well. I had been using the Medela bags you can pump straight into, but they don't stand well on their own (at all). Thus, with a kicking baby on one side, and a floppy bag on the other, I was covered in milk by the end of it.

Toss in some bureaucratic drama with a project I'm working on with the city, the inability to grab something to eat when I wanted to, plus my college class to deal with and that was my morning.

Yesterday had some other firsts as well though. Xavier had his first tear - I wish I would have had my camera. It was so sad seeing that little drop of emotion resting on his cheek, and yet kind of sweet~ Xave is also starting to notice (and follow) the mobile on his swing (we have this one). He's also starting to grab at objects he wants.

He didn't like being in the bassinet because it was too bland, so I got the idea to put a (high contrast) bib up for him to look it. He did manage to grab it down once, but I didn't have my camera out yet...

Watching him develop and grow is amazing...I don't think anyone can appreciate it until they experience it firsthand.

From the 7th, I just didn't get to upload it until now. He falls asleep on me all the time after he eats (by the way, that's a tank top I'm wearing).

Last night went fine, and Xave slept like he normally does. Today I have a mountain of homework to climb (ugh...) and work to do as well...The house managed to get straightened yesterday, so at least that's out of the way.

I'm going to introduce a bottle to Xavier soon - I want to try to go to work one day next week...I'm almost a little apprehensive about it because I'm worried 1) he'll end up rejecting me, or 2) my milk supply will dry up. I'm not at all worried about him not taking the bottle - I really don't even care that much. I've found that I really love nursing - even though it can be a pain in the butt sometimes (especially at 3am) and I don't want bottle feeding to interfere with that. The likelihood of those things happening are slim...but still... I'm also still trying to figure out how I'm going to manage being away from the house longer than two hours...both emotionally, and the fact that these guys swell up pretty fast and get considerably uncomfortable without a baby to munch on them... hm.............................

Breastfeeding in Public & My Wonderful Mother

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I had my first public breastfeeding experience yesterday. We woke up we were a little crunched for time, so I didn't get to feed Xavier before we left. So, by the time we were in the waiting room, the poor little guy was starving. :( I pulled out one of my breastfeeding covers (that I ordered from Etsy) and everything went well! He didn't pull it aside, my milk let down fine, and both of us were quite happy!

Speaking of breastfeeding, I'm quite lucky that I haven't (yet) went through the stage where my milk was spraying everywhere or leaking in the middle of the night. My breastpads are mainly for the little leaks when Xavier unlatches and also so my bra isn't coated in lanolin. My left breast got sore, but my right has been fine. Oh, and by sore, I mean it felt like needles when Xavier ate. This hasn't really bothered me that much though - I think had I been shooting milk all over the place I would have been more bothered.

I felt really bad today, since my wonderful mother wrote me an e-mail that she was worried about me from my last post and was worried she was causing me more stress. I guess, after re-reading the post, it did come across rather negative, but that's not how I meant it at all. What I was trying to convey was how irrational, yet normal, the baby blues can be. During several of my crying bouts, I would look at The Husband and go (sobbingly) "I know there's nothing wrong. I know I'm being irrational. I just can't help it."

My mother has done nothing but be an incredible help and support over the past few weeks. Her and my father even came and cleaned my DISGUSTINGLY DIRTY house while I was in the hospital (since Xavier came a little early and I wasn't quite expecting it). She's offered to watch the baby, drive me to the doctor, and pretty much be at my beck and call. My parents have been an extraordinary help and I really can't thank them enough.

I wonder, with people who have lazy husbands and parents that are far away, how do they get by?! So much of my parenting experience (so far) has been wonderful because of all the generous help around me - from The Husband, my parents and family, my co-workers, and even those who just happened to comment on my Facebook status about the baby.

Thank you all.

Although a thank you is hardly enough to convey the gratitude I have in my heart.

The first few days in...

Things have been going quite well! Here are some quick highlights:

...in regards to breastfeeding:
I was very paranoid about Xavier getting enough food to eat since I am breastfeeding. When we had left the hospital, his bilirubin level was at 9, so he wasn't put under the UV Light, but it still made us concerned. However, now that my milk has come in (which is an interesting experience all together) he seems to be eating just fine - about every two hours in fact. While this does make me slightly more sleep deprived, my heart is relieved to know he's eating!

So far I haven't been exceedingly sore - nothing that's not manageable. I'm waiting for that to kick in though.

Xavier is latching very well now. Initially at the hospital, he did VERY well, but then, around the third day, he started this whole deal where he'd latch, then break, cry, latch, break, cry, latch, etc... This was a little frustrating (especially because I was like "OMG YOU HAVE TO EAT PLEASE DON'T STARVE TO DEATH") but I learned that I could get him to stop crying by sticking a pacifier in his mouth, and he'd latch on again (kind of like a bait and switch move). Now, he is latching on very well - no more bait and switches. I figure this is also because there is an extremely larger amount of food to eat as well.

...in regards to sleeping:
So far, I feel like I am handling my sleep being interuppted pretty well. However, this is still during the time where I'm not really doing anything else but taking care of the baby and myself. I can't even say I'm taking care of the house - The Husband is doing most of that.

...in regards to The Husband:
He's fantastic. End.

...in regards to working:
I've decided I'll probably try to get some actual work done starting next week. I'm still trying to adjust to the little things (like making sure you have all the bathing supplies ready before you begin to bathe the baby) right now. However, I do need to mention (again) that I have THE BEST OFFICE IN THE WORLD. Not only did they throw me a baby shower back in June, they set up a schedule to bring me dinner every other day for the next two weeks. Our IT guy, Jim and his wife stopped by (with their 2 year old adorable daughter) with one of the best chicken and broccoli cassaroles ever (and The Husband LOVES C&B Cass). Nevermind that it could have fed twenty people. I'm chowing down on some leftovers as I type.

Final Remarks:
Things are great. Nothing is too crazy. I still need to unpack things from the hospital. I am doing Baby's first load (of many I'm sure) of (used) laundry today.

Time to check on the baby... :)

My last day at the office - for a while at least.

So, today was my last day in my fabulous office. Good-bye quad core 64x processor, dual screen monitors, and 8 GB of RAM...I'll miss you. Additionally, I'm going to miss all of my wonderful co-workers and friends...it'll be strange to not be constantly privy to all of the office gossip and drama.

My office has really become my place of socialization I suppose - everyone from my equal co-workers to my supervisors, are just amazingly nice people. It's really rare that you can say that I think. I've never had so much job satisfaction, and that's why I didn't just quit. I want to still work, not only because I enjoy what I do, but more so because I love to work with the people around me.

Yeah, I really can't say enough about how great everyone there is...it's almost overwhelming when I think of it?

I've been feeling okay lately - maybe even a little bit in a slump? I fixed the boneless lamb roast from Wholey's today and had a few friends over, but it was uninspired and all I served with it were some mashed potatoes...

I am very excited that my package from Nordstrom is supposed to arrive tomorrow (technically today)!

I'm tired. I have a million things on my to do list for the next few days. I just wish my baby would get here.

(Can you tell my emotions are all over the place?! This pregnancy business is making me crazy!)

Not too much...for now...

The past few days have been, for the most part, uneventful.

I went to the doctor Monday, and he stated that everything was going along just honky-dorey. I noticed on my chart, however, that I had gained 9 lbs. in the past month. That is not okay in my book. He reassured me though and said that it's probably just extra compensation for me losing weight in my first trimester. I am putting myself on slightly stricter diet now because of my shock. I'm going to be avoiding fried food, unnecessary sweets, etc... A nurse also said that a lot of my weight might be due to my increased intake of juice - thus my trusty Camelbak water bottle is now again at my constant side.

We're having friends over for dinner again tonight. This time the menu consists of barbequed pork loin, mashed red potatoes, and fresh corn on the cob. If I remember, I'll post pictures.

The next few days are going to be pretty busy in comparison. I've got a final exam on Friday, and my husband and I work a bi-yearly conference which is this Saturday and Sunday.

Busy is not bad though. I much prefer busy over bored.

My Daily Grind is a smooth cup of coffee.

So, due to the lack anything particularly noteworthy occurring today, I decided that I would talk a little about my (desk) job. I make the distinction because I currently have more than one occupation, but the others are contracted work and not steady. When something comes up with one of them, perhaps I'll discuss it. However, it's for a later time.

To begin with, I work as a Graphic Designer. My work includes making conference posters, miscellaneous signs and posters, and putting together different types of documents for presentation. I also am in charge of updating (and eventually doing a redesign) of our current website. In between these main tasks I pull data tables for ArcGIS, teach myself Adobe products, and partake in the construction of office Gum Towers (pictured). An added perk is that I have no set schedule. I work when I need to, and, should something come up, it's as simple as sending a text message saying that I won't be in. This is not to say that I don't have the occasional staff meeting to attend or project deadline - however, for the most part, work is on a pretty flexible schedule.

My cubicle:You will notice (if you enlarge the picture), that certain items are lettered.
A. Magic Wand - This was given to me from a supervisor of mine while I was working on her poster for a conference. She explained that someone had given it to her so she could "do the impossible". The poster proved to be quite trying sometimes, so she gave it to me saying that when she asked me to do the impossible I had the tools.
B. Coffee Mug - Due to my pregnancy, this has turned into a pen cup.
C. My Laptop - Usually my Gmail is here, along with Digsby running in the background. I also use Synergy, although at the moment I am waiting for our IT guy to set back up permissions for me to use it on our server.
D. Bose Headphones - Only used occassionally when feeling particularly productive and/or irritated.
E. Random Pile of Papers - Documentation, instruction sheets, To Do lists, etc...
F. Blackberry - My phone which goes off at least once every five minutes.
G. Desktop - Usually running several different programs for several different jobs. (Yes, that's World 1-1 dual monitor wallpaper.)
H. 過労死 - Office humor.
I. Wacom Tablet - I'd die without it, but most everyone else in the office can't use the mouse...thus tucked back away is an old school mechanical ball mouse for when others have to use my computer.

I must admit, I have never had more satisfaction at the workplace. Everyone I work with, be it a co-worker or supervisor, is friendly and warm, and my work is interesting and diverse.

Job Satisfaction: 10/10