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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Random Thoughts and Observations


  • I am extremely easily annoyed these days.  It doesn't take much to get under my skin which makes me an unpleasant person to be around.  Knowing this, I've been keeping to myself a lot so I don't just completely go off on someone.
  • I am also more emotional.  I almost cried in a meeting this week when one of the PMs welcomed me back to the office and commented that I looked thrilled to be there.  The comment didn't bother me because it was true.  It just re-emphasized how much I want to be home with Jackson.  And then I did it again the next day driving to work just because I really didn't want to go.
  • The daycare situation is really stressing me out.  We have just over 2 weeks to find someone to watch Jackson while Chris and I are at work since our perfect in-home daycare fell through last week.  I am really not happy about this.  I never wanted to put my kids in daycare but I have no other options.  Nor do I have any idea how we are going to pay for this.
  • My feet still don't look like my feet.  I guess I got used to how they looked swollen and puffy.  Now they look so skinny and long and like they belong on someone else's body.
  • I've lost all my pregnancy weight plus about 10 pounds which should be great but it isn't.  While my old clothes fit, they aren't comfortable because I am flabby and everything has shifted so nothing fits right.
  • I have one pair of jeans out of about 5 that fit me properly.  So I decided to order a couple of more pairs of the same style.  Wouldn't you know, Lee no longer makes the style I like so I can't find any to purchase.
  • Is it ever going to cool off in Austin, Texas?  The first day of fall was last week and we celebrated by having a high of 104 on Monday.  We are well over 80 days of triple digit temperatures for the year.  I am ready for it to drop below 90 for a few days and to get some rain.
  • Explain to me how 1 gas station out of 5 in a half mile radius can charge $0.50 more than all the others and still have business.  Two of the stations were $3.27 and 2 were $3.29 but the last one was $3.71.  How does that happen?
  • Somehow I have become a mommy blogger.  That wasn't intentional but, since I write about myself and my life, I guess it was bound to happen when I got pregnant.  
  • I still hurt quite a bit more than I expected to at this point.  I pretty much always feel a slight throb around my incision and, at least once a day, I will get a sharp, stabbing pain in that general area.  It's been 2 months.  Is this normal?
  •  I am attending The Bathering in a few weeks and I am excited and terrified at the same time.  A lot of the bloggers attending have "known" each other for ages and I am so of the new kid on the block.  And, yes, I am that person who wants to be cool and well liked but I know in reality that I am not cool so all my anxiety is coming out over this one.  It is being held here in Austin so that is great but I am also afraid of missing out on a lot of the fun because I won't be staying in the hotel with the other ladies.
  • I think I have rambled just about as much as I can ramble on one post for today.  Just had to pass on some of the thoughts floating around in my head.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

THE ABCS OF ME


I borrowed this from the fabulous Sarah Lena since I accidentally deleted the post I started writing earlier today.  I intend to finish that post but this will have to do for now.

A. Age: 34
B. Bed size: Queen which was fine for me and Maverick but Chris, Maverick, and I need a King.
C. Chore that you hate: All of them but particularly cleaning the bathrooms especially the toilets with all the boys in my house.
D. Dogs: Yes, Maverick, the fat beagle
E. Essential start to your day: Now that I am back at work, I must have my coffee.
F. Favorite color: Crimson red...is there any other color?
G. Gold or Silver: I am more of a gold person but my wedding rings are white gold so I have been leaning towards silver since getting them nearly 2 years ago.
H. Height: 5’2" on a good day if I stretch
I. Instruments you play: I played alto clarinet in high school and I wasn't very good
J. Job title: Financial Analyst
K. Kids: Jackson - 2 months old; Sean (stepson) - 7 years old
L. Live: Round Rock, Tx
M. Mother’s name: Marian
N. Nicknames: Jules
O. Overnight hospital stays: 5 nights to have Jackson; 1 night after having Jackson left my blood pressure wonky
P. Pet peeves: text speak - I cannot stand the abbreviations people use when texting or chatting
Q. Quote from a movie: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." ~ Ferris Bueller
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: Two brothers, both older: Vincent and Clay
U. Underwear: Victoria's Secret cotton 
V. Vegetable you hate: onions and tomatoes
W. What makes you run late: Having a newborn and underestimating the amount of time it will take all 4 of us to get ready
X. X-Rays you’ve had: lungs
Y. Yummy food that you make: I have done a pretty good job of copying my mom's spaghetti.
Z. Zoo animal: not really into animals other than my dog

Monday, September 26, 2011

This Little Thing Called Life

I fully intended to write 2 blog posts last week.  One about Jackson turning 2 months old and one about returning to work.  That did not happen.  That nasty thing known as my job really got in the way last week.  Along with trying to keep my household together, there was just no time.  The post-work evenings felt like I was running a marathon.  There is just so much to do in the 3 hours between getting home from working and getting everyone settled in bed.  That meant that my internet and TV time was extremely limited.  So, I will make up for it now by talking about what I was going to talk about last week.

Jackson hit 2 months old last Tuesday.  It was also Maverick's 6th birthday.  I cannot believe how big both of my boys are now.  I remember bringing Maverick home as a tiny little 6 pound puppy 6 years ago.  He was so adorable and so tiny and would fall asleep on my chest.  Now he is my loving, crazy, rambunctious, fat beagle.  He will still curl up in my lap and go to sleep when I let him and he loves my baby more than anything.

I still can't believe how much my life has changed in 2 months.  Jackson is truly my world now.  Leaving him each morning before work is killing me.  I just want to stay home and snuggle with him all day.  My boy is up to 12 lbs 4 oz as of his 2 month checkup a week ago.  We also got good news from the cardiologist 2 weeks ago.  The heart murmur and irregular heartbeat they heard at Jackson's birth have corrected themselves.  The tiny holes have closed and my baby is as healthy as can be.  Even though I wasn't worried, it was still a huge relief to know everything really was OK.  I get lots of smiles and giggles from Jackson now that just absolutely make my day.  This is what I am missing when I sit at my desk everyday.
My return to work has been hard on all of us.  We would really be struggling if Mom wasn't here right now.  Jackson is really missing me during the day and is extra clingy when I get home.  (OK...so Mommy needs the snuggles too.)  I love that he wants to be with me but it does make it hard to accomplish anything when I can't put the baby down for fear of screaming.  I am sure it will get better once we all adjust to the "new" schedule.  On top of that, I know my focus is not on work.  I find myself staring at pictures of Jackson because I miss him so much.  I also feel like I am having to re-learn the job I have had for 2 years.  It is amazing what you can forget in 2 months.  Hopefully everyone will be patient with me until I adjust to the life of a working mom of a newborn.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

One Step Closer

I am currently laying on my couch bored out of my mind praying that Jackson will sleep until it's time to go get Sean from school.  He was cranky this morning because he was fighting sleep.  So now that he is finally napping, I don't want to turn on the TV or do anything else that might wake him up because I need to enjoy my last quiet afternoon before all hell breaks loose in my house.  My short term disability officially ended on Tuesday so I took 3 days of vacation to finish out the week before I return to work on Monday.  The only good thing about the c-section was that I was able to get 8 weeks of disability instead of the 6 I was expecting.  While 2 months should seem like a long time, it really isn't.  I am still sore and some days I think I must look like I just got off a horse with the way I walk.  I also know it hasn't been long enough to mentally prepare for leaving Jackson behind.  Mom gets here Saturday to keep Baby J for us while I go back to work and Chris will be on days.  I am so gratefully for her help but I know it is going to be stressful having an extra person in our already packed house and with our sometimes conflicting personalities.  I started off this week snuggling Jackson who woke up with the biggest smile for me Monday morning.  It was my intention to make the most of this last week home with him and, of course, it has just flown by.  Chris will be off tomorrow and we will be busy getting ready for Mom's arrival (cleaning!).  So I am trying to take advantage of the last little bit of "me time" I am going to have for a while.  I probably should have done something more productive but at least I got a nap out of it.

Bama Baby

It is Jackson's first football season and I am enjoying dressing my boy in all the crimson and white I can get my hands on.  I found out I was pregnant after the regular season was over last year so I didn't get the fun of dressing my bump to cheer on my team.  Instead, I get to dress my baby and that is way more fun.
I am not sure how my boy feels about having his team allegiance picked so early in life but I figure I better start early since he isn't surrounded by all the Alabama fans I was growing up.  It is my job to raise him right and teach him that even though we live in the land of the Longhorns, Tuscaloosa is the place for him.  Jackson's first game was two weeks ago when Alabama defeated Kent State.  
As you can see, he could barely contain his excitement for the game. Jackson slept through the whole first half of the game.  We watched the game at the house of our friends, the Heards, and the guys fixed us breakfast for lunch.  We chowed down on Conecuh sausage and bacon (imported from Alabama) along with pancakes, eggs, and biscuit.  What a feast!  The whole family got into the spirit for the game.
Well, everyone but Chris that is.  I haven't gotten him into an Alabama shirt yet but trust me that will happen one day.  Even Maverick sports a houndstooth collar on a regular basis.  So Daddy can't stay the odd man out forever.