Alabama Tracks

I know it has been a while since I last posted and for those of you who try to read this everyday, I apologize. Life as I have known it (even for 9 weeks) changed drastically and I’m still trying to catch up.

My days begin around 5:45 am (6:10 am this week due to daylight savings time messing with me). I scurry around trying to get myself ready before Peanut wakes or I have to wake her around 6:45. Then it’s time to feed her, change her diaper, and clothes and we’re out the door, no later than 7:10. We get to daycare around 7:40, I check her in and say good bye, and I’m clocked into work around 7:55am.

I proceed with my day around the office, visiting the daycare a couple times to feed her. Up until Friday, I went to the daycare about every 2 to 2 1/2 hours. She has started to lengthen her feedings out and has been sleeping most of the time that I’ve come and so we decided that the workers would call me when she woke up so that I could head on over. This was a recommendation from a friend and one that the workers seemed to like, so I went with it. It wasn’t until the first time I had to wait for them to call me did I realize just how much I hate this system. When it comes down to it, I hate the idea of someone telling me when my baby needs to be fed. It just re-emphasized that I wasn’t in control of what was happening to my baby. While there are some who say that I knew what I was getting myself into when I got pregnant, I must say that nothing (even the voice of others who have been there done that) could have prepared me for the emotional and physical onslaught I would experience.

For now we are managing. I can’t say that I completely enjoy being back at work though part of me does enjoy the fact that I have friends that I can talk to daily. The other part of me disdains it and can’t wait til the day that it will come to an end. I try very hard to keep my evenings centered on Ruthie. When we get home, I put all my attention on her until her daddy comes home. I know my tendencies and I must say that there has been wash sitting waiting to be folded (GASP!) and there have been things on the floor and bar that need to be put away (The HORROR!) that I just can’t get to right away. When she goes down for the night, I scramble to get my lunch made, breakfast partially prepared, things picked up, and myself ready for bed. By around 9:00, I’m zonked.

On another note, Joel and I have both been down this week with allergies/colds. It’s pretty sad when both are snorting, honking, blowing, and moaning due to sinus headaches. Friday night I ended up losing part of dinner due to the migraine that I had which was made worse by a “worm hole” screen in between the levels of a game I was playing. I went to bed shortly after that happened. Joel had media duty at church today so he went in for both services and Ruthie and I joined him for second service. She hasn’t slept much as a result so we are hoping that tonight is going to be a good night for consistent sleep. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

So with that, my baby is fussing wanting out of her swing as it is nearing feeding time again.

After ten weeks of being home with my baby, I went back to work, much to our chagrin.  I never in a million years would have imagined that I would enjoy staying at home as much as I have.

Today started at 5:20 when I got up to nurse Ruthie.  10 minutes prior to my planned wake up time, I didn’t think it was too bad.  We were out the door by 6:45 and to the daycare about 7:15.  I handed her over to  Sharon and she immediately had change her diaper and clothes.  She handed her back to me after some routine procedures, and I nursed her, handed her back to Sharon  As soon as she got her again, another diaper and clothes change needed.  This time it would be clothes that they have there in the daycare.  Who knew that she would need more than one extra outfit for the day?  She never goes through that many outfits in a day at home.

After some time at the office and answering several people about how I was doing, how she was doing, and if I was happy to be back, I headed back over to the daycare to feed her again.  I continued to go back every 2 hours to feed and burp her.  The only bottle they had to give her was her last one at 3:45 this afternoon.  The ability to see her throughout the day made it easier for me as I proceeded with my day at the office.  I managed to stay really busy as my desk was completely covered with stuff along with over 200 emails of which needed to be dealt with.  When it was all said and done, I was very pleased with what I was able to get accomplished while visiting Ruthie three times throughout the day.

At 4:30 I picked her up and she was on yet another pair of loaned pants.  The girl just had some issues today.  I have since found out that DHR does not allow the center to wrap the babies in blankets in the cribs.  My baby is one that likes to be swaddled in order to sleep.  Looking over her daily sheet, the poor girl didn’t sleep more than 45 minutes at a time.  She was of good disposition every time that I visited and I was very glad that she didn’t have to wait her turn to receive a bottle.  I saw many a baby crying waiting for their turn to be fed.

When we got home I focused all of my attention on her.  She fell asleep many times on me throughout the next hour.  When Joel got home with Arby’s for dinner (because I didn’t feel like doing anything extra) we ate, fed and bathed her.  We swaddled, rocked, fed again, and off to sleep she went.  My poor Super Peanut was so tired, I can only hope for a good nights rest tonight.

Though my day could have been a lot worse, it was plenty stressful and emotional.  We hold on to hope that we will be able to make the plans necessary to one day have me at home.   Hopefully sooner rather than later.  We continue to pray and would covet any you could offer up on our behalf.

Peanut has started to look more intently at objects and is more content to lay and talk to herself.  She is so deliciously sweet and knew her mama every time I picked her up today.  Tonight she looked so pleased to be in her daddy’s arms as well.  Her recognition is getting better every day.

Tomorrow is another day.  We only have four more days of this week and I’ll have another couple of days at home.  We’ll make it as none of this is unexpected to God who has already ordained our days.