Multi-Tasking

I hit my first crisis in multi-tasking between Baby Z and work.

Today was the first time I worked from home WITH other people. I had to call into a meeting at 11am. Perfect. Baby Z will go down for a nap at 10:30am, like usual, and I'll have time to do a little work and log into the meeting. Naturally, for the first time in about 3 or 4 months, Baby Z decided to cry A LOT before settling down for his nap. And this wasn't the off and on, settling down cry that I could probably talk over (What, that? I think that's the neighbor's dog). It was the loud screaming that made me worry about the cops showing up (See police incident in "New Patch for My Sash"). I sat there in front of my computer, with my phone on mute, wondering, should I check on him?...should I hang up the phone?...should I tell my boss I can't work because of an emergency? What would usually be a challenge just from the perspective of the routine was now more complicated because I was trying to juggle working also.

After a few minutes of my head buzzing with confusion, I finally decided to pretend I wasn't trying to work and do what I would normally do. I did check on him, because the crying was so out of the ordinary, and it didn't show signs of stopping. I went in and calmed him down and reinitiated the nap-time routine. As I walked Baby Z around, with the wa-wa-wa of the work meeting droning on my phone in the background, I realized that my priorities were pretty clear. I also realized that I wouldn't want it any other way.

Needless to say, I stayed on mute for the majority of the meeting. About 45 minutes after the meeting started, Baby Z finally settled down and slept. I was able to participate in enough of the meeting to get assigned some work... just as my cell phone dropped the call. Better timing than Baby Z.

Chock-Full of Fun

We had a weekend full of fun things. On Thursday night, John and I went to a Damien Rice concert. Baby Z stayed at Grammy's for the night, since he would be staying there on Friday when I go to work. We had such a great time at the concert-- really good seats, awesome music, no horrible traffic or parking problems. It was really, really great. It felt like a Pre-Kids date. Not having to pick up Baby Z from a babysitter after was nice, too, since I didn't worry about time at all. When we got home to our empty little house, though, we both felt a little sad. Our little dude wasn't there. It was very strange. It's amazing how quickly these little people become so engrained in your life that you can't possibly imagine life without them.

Friday, after work, we all went to the local Aquarium. It was a lot of fun, mostly just to get out and do something different. I really enjoyed it. Even feeding Baby Z his dinner, while sitting on a hard bench in front of the Seal tank was a lot of fun. Baby Z was not exactly impressed by the marine life, but I think I saw a healthy respect for the sharks - what every surfer should have.

On Sunday, I got to enjoy a fabulous afternoon with a bunch of ladies at my dear friend E's wedding shower. Us bridesmaids got to just show up for this one and enjoy. What a treat! Meanwhile, John watched Baby Z at his parents' house. Once again, when everything was done, John stated he couldn't watch Baby Z all day every day. That makes me feel good for two reasons: 1) John recognizes how challenging it can be, and 2) I don't feel like such a wimp for being so exhausted at the end of each day (mentally and physically).

I can definitely see how having some time away from Baby Z, either just with John, or just me (at work or with friends), can be extremely beneficial for my well-being. I am so much more energized and enthusiastic when I come back to Baby Z. Another way to say it... not being a Mom for a little while helps me be a better Mom.

Child Labor

Seeing as Baby Z turns 10 months old today, I decided it was time to put him to work. I mean, really, he's been free-loading since the day he was born! It's never too early to get the kids started on household chores, I say. And Baby Z's current mobility can be put to excellent use:


As with any employee, a manager must find the right motivation to inspire results:

And it's a Win-Win for all. Mommy has a little less housework, and Baby Z has the rewarding satisfaction of a job well done.

First Day Report

First day back went very smoothly. The handoff of Baby Z in the parking lot, getting into my old work place, seeing co-workers again. It was all a breeze. Like a friend of mine said, the anticipation is usually worse than the actual event.

It felt good to be just me (not Mommy me) for a good part of the day. I liked wearing my hair down all day, without baby hands to grab it. I liked going to the bathroom, a good distance from my desk, without having to listen for Baby Z and whether he got into something he shouldn't have. I liked eating my lunch whenever I wanted and making phone calls without having to think about Baby Z's schedule (about to wake up, about to sleep, etc.).

On the side of a reality check, I also had a hard time staying awake and was a little bored, since there wasn't a lot I could do on my first day back. I also felt a little dusty, like that part of my brain had atrophed just a little. I'm sure that will change soon enough and I'll be in the swing of things. I got a slight buzz seeing my name just where I left it on the organization chart, but quickly reminded myself it would be removed*. And that actually felt really good! I was relieved!

And, at the end of the day, I liked seeing Baby Z. His huge smile when he saw me was validation for all the effort and time I spend with him. I'm so thankful I can work a little and still have lots of time with my baby.


*Doing 8-10 hours/week, neither I nor my bosses thought I could hold the leadership position I had before, but I will be doing some similar things in a lot less volume.

T-minus 20 Hours

Tomorrow morning I return to the corporate work world. I'm excited and nervous-- not unlike a first-day-of-school feeling. I've made lists and lists and checked off almost all of them. I'm taking a bunch of stuff to my Mom's tonight so I'll have time to set up over there and verify she has everything she needs. I'm ready.

I'm ready.

A Little Marketing Goes A Long Way?

Well, in the wake of the police officer visit, we decided a little marketing would be a good thing. I made some lovely blueberry muffins, attached a note, and we walked over to the neighbor's house. If it was our new neighbor who was "concerned about the welfare of a child," then we wanted to give her the opportunity to meet us and hopefully see us as a normal, pleasant family with a young baby. Baby Z pulled out all the stops, giving her smiles and reaching out his hand to her. He was charming, healthy, active and free of bruises.

Besides our guerilla marketing, we also did some recon and got a better feel for our new neighbor. Both John and I thought it was even more likely that it was her who called the police. Her personality definitely seemed like she would do something rather than sit and wait, and she seemed extremely aware of the noises in her new neighborhood. Fair enough. I will choose to appreciate her watchful concern as a good attribute to have in a neighbor. Otherwise, she was very pleasant and friendly and I dont think we will have any problems.

Phew. I'm glad that's over with. Hopefully I can relax again and not freak out about Baby Z crying too loud or too long.

New Patch for My Sash

If there was such a thing as a patch sash for Mommyhood, I would have earned a new one tonight:
The Cop Visit badge.
Yes. Someone called the cops because they were concerned for the welfare of my baby, who was screaming with a rough case of stranger anxiety and exhaustion. The badge would be dark green with light brown stitching of the profile of a police officer, with cursive little "Waaaaas" in the background.
I jest so that I won't scream in anger. Or cry.

John and I went to dinner at our Vaguely Urban friend's house and left Baby Z with Aunt E and Uncle R. We were a little worried since Baby Z responded to seeing his Uncle by erupting into a body-shaking cry. But he calmed down before we left and we knew that Uncle and Auntie could handle a little crying. Apparently our neighbor cannot.

So our sweet, long suffering babysitters had the pleasure of answering the door to a police officer. Thankfully, he was very nice and didn't seem to take the accusation too seriously. He came in and checked on Baby Z, who was, again thankfully, sound asleep in his crib. Aunt E and Uncle R took it all in stride and didn't even call us in the middle of our night (again, again, thankfully!).

Baby Z was crying off and on for about 45 minutes to an hour, while they tried to settle him down and feed him his bottle. What can I say- that boy can scream. I admit it can be disconcerting at the very least. He's especially good at rolling his tongue into a rolling R kind of scream. And our windows were open. And we have a new neighbor who moved in just a few days ago, so I guess she hadn't heard Baby Z's full repertoire yet. At least, I'm guessing it was her, since our other neighbors have certainly heard this sort of thing before, and they know us, and know there is nothing to be concerned about.

Well, I'm trying very hard to be Christianly about it and take this as an opportunity to introduce myself to our new neighbor. I'll just sachet over there with a plate of cookies and my healthy, smiling baby on my hip. I should also give her the benefit of the doubt and think that it might not have been her, or that she might have just been seriously concerned about the baby, given her only information is an hour of crying. (And I'm fighting, oh, I'm fighting the thought that she called just 'cause she was irritated by the noise. Lord help me.

Obsessed with Toofies

I know I seem obsessed, but these teeth are just so dad-gum cute (pun intended)! I couldn't resist posting a gratuitous picture.

It's Only 72 hours

John and I are planning a trip to Chicago for a weekend to visit friends. We debated whether or not to take Baby Z and decided to leave him at home with babysitters (aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends). Every day I think about it and wonder if that's going to be okay. On one hand, I'm pretty sure everything will be fine, and even missing a few naps here and there isn't going to hurt him. On the other hand, I think about the worse case scenario of major meltdowns and babysitters that vow never to watch Baby Z again. And the very worst case, which I'm sure many parents have worried over: Baby Z gets sick or hurt and we're not there for him.

Between now and then, every touchy nap and every finicky mood makes me worry about how the weekend will go while we're away. I keep thinking about all the little things I need to tell each babysitter-- when he smacks the bottle with his open palm, it means he's enjoying it, not that he doesn't want it anymore; sometimes he won't take his bedtime bottle in the living room, but if you take him to his darkened bedroom, he'll eat some there, and on and on. You can imagine the spreadsheet I'm going to have waiting for them. But I have to remember that they're not going to be a surrogate Mom and Dad while we're gone. They are going to be loving, caring, fun aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas-- including the indulgences, slight blunders and heaps of laughs. They are going to do their very best for Baby Z, and Baby Z will get early lessons in adaptability.

And the most important lesson will be for me-- learning to let go.

Milestones Two--oof

Just as I started to admire Baby Z's delicate little toofies on the bottom, out come two teeth on the TOP! Wow! They just pop up one day-- just like that. As much as his little bottom teeth added an adorable impishness to his smile, I'm afraid these new top teeth are going to give him the look of a hill-billy ready to eat some corn. No, seriously... they are really big! My husband, John, has pretty big teeth and we used to joke that if the baby got his teeth and my little mouth, then we'd be in trouble. Hopefully Baby Z's mouth is big enough, because he's got a couple of snowy boulders on the rise!

And, as Vaguely Urban commented, the teeth could be prime motivation to stop nursing. Ta da! I nursed for the last time (with Baby Z) on Monday. I'm now on day 5 of slightly sore boobs, but it's getting better. It seems nature was producing more on the left, so I'm slightly lopsided for now. Hee. I'm sure it will go back to normal (whatever boobs-post-baby look like, that is). Well, before I branch off into a discussion sure to scare my yet-to-have-children friends, I'll sign off.

Happy weekend, everyone.