Friday, August 09, 2002
Heather: I know, it's been a while. Frankly, Maddie is just so darn entertaining that I would rather hang out with her than the computer. Now she's asleep, though, and watching her sleep is a beautiful thing and all, but...
I head back to work in two weeks. The word "dreading" is too weak; "nauseous and studiously avoiding" would be more accurate. (And the nausea is unrelated to the coming child.) However, only 125 more days of not being with Maddie before I'm done, done! Hooray! God willing, of course.
It was 185, barring snow days, but I know I'll get 60 for maternity leave when the new Price goes into effect. I've already started saving from current paychecks to cover the time I'll be out unpaid. Part of me is really looking forward to it, as I had so much fun--or at least felt so right--at home with Maddie, but I know I won't be able to take all of the naps I did the first time around. The books said, "Sleep when the baby sleeps," and I did. Hey, you didn't have to tell ME twice I was exhausted! This second one will prove more of a challenge, I think. The way a freight train challenges a penny on the tracks...
For a girl's name, we've sort of settled on Rachel Anne. I think I said before, I got the lion's share with Madeleine so Dale got to pick this time around. I have veto power but I like his selection. A boy is easy; we already knew we'll name him after his daddy.
About the only issue in the news I'm trying to keep up with is las Maritas, the twin Guatemalan girls that got surgically separated this week. The reports haven't changed: "As well or better than we hoped, but not conscious yet." They look about the same age as Maddie and that's what pulls at my heartstrings. I keep them in my prayers.
The Moms' Club from church met last week. It's really good and fulfilling for me to get out and spend time with other moms, especially ones I know share some of my views on parenting. Example: one young mom asked about getting her son back on his sleeping schedule; it had been thrown off by a trip to Tennessee. A more experienced one, Lucy, answered that whenever one of her kids had trouble sleeping she and her husband just brought him or her to bed with them. It was a tremendous relief to me, and another said that it's awful crowded for them with 5 in their bed. I had just kind of figured that bringing Maddie to our bed was, like breastfeeding, just one more thing on the long and growing list of things that I'm doing differently from my mom. The only other one I knew who did it was my brother and sister in law. I don't know if I'll ever quite find the words to tell them I don't think it's as wrong as I once did, but they might already know.
Dale likes it when I come home from the club. I'm happy, I'm at peace, I know he's had some time alone with his daughter (which he cherishes quite a lot), I've gotten out... All around good things.
We got Maddie's pictures from Sears today, so we'll have them for her first birthday. I think we can post a link but I'll let Dale have the fun with that. She was quite grumpy as it was getting close to naptime, but the sunflowers were a hit.
I head back to work in two weeks. The word "dreading" is too weak; "nauseous and studiously avoiding" would be more accurate. (And the nausea is unrelated to the coming child.) However, only 125 more days of not being with Maddie before I'm done, done! Hooray! God willing, of course.
It was 185, barring snow days, but I know I'll get 60 for maternity leave when the new Price goes into effect. I've already started saving from current paychecks to cover the time I'll be out unpaid. Part of me is really looking forward to it, as I had so much fun--or at least felt so right--at home with Maddie, but I know I won't be able to take all of the naps I did the first time around. The books said, "Sleep when the baby sleeps," and I did. Hey, you didn't have to tell ME twice I was exhausted! This second one will prove more of a challenge, I think. The way a freight train challenges a penny on the tracks...
For a girl's name, we've sort of settled on Rachel Anne. I think I said before, I got the lion's share with Madeleine so Dale got to pick this time around. I have veto power but I like his selection. A boy is easy; we already knew we'll name him after his daddy.
About the only issue in the news I'm trying to keep up with is las Maritas, the twin Guatemalan girls that got surgically separated this week. The reports haven't changed: "As well or better than we hoped, but not conscious yet." They look about the same age as Maddie and that's what pulls at my heartstrings. I keep them in my prayers.
The Moms' Club from church met last week. It's really good and fulfilling for me to get out and spend time with other moms, especially ones I know share some of my views on parenting. Example: one young mom asked about getting her son back on his sleeping schedule; it had been thrown off by a trip to Tennessee. A more experienced one, Lucy, answered that whenever one of her kids had trouble sleeping she and her husband just brought him or her to bed with them. It was a tremendous relief to me, and another said that it's awful crowded for them with 5 in their bed. I had just kind of figured that bringing Maddie to our bed was, like breastfeeding, just one more thing on the long and growing list of things that I'm doing differently from my mom. The only other one I knew who did it was my brother and sister in law. I don't know if I'll ever quite find the words to tell them I don't think it's as wrong as I once did, but they might already know.
Dale likes it when I come home from the club. I'm happy, I'm at peace, I know he's had some time alone with his daughter (which he cherishes quite a lot), I've gotten out... All around good things.
We got Maddie's pictures from Sears today, so we'll have them for her first birthday. I think we can post a link but I'll let Dale have the fun with that. She was quite grumpy as it was getting close to naptime, but the sunflowers were a hit.
