Time for baby #2

I can't believe it has been 3 years. It doesn't seem like 3 years have passed because you do the same thing everyday. You wake up and go to work. You come home and take care of your family. You go to sleep and start the same day again tomorrow. And without realizing it, 3 years have passed. I went back and read all my old posts and wished I had made more entries, but so thankful that I did write some things down. I will definitely take my own advice!

So now that Caleb is 2 and a half, thoughts have once again turn to babies. Actually, I've had babies on the brain since Caleb turned 2 last May. In fact, I was on my way to making a baby when tragedy struck with an infection in my breast. Not sure how I got it. After a surgery and 4 months of 3 different kinds of antibiotics, not sure if it's totally gone. But according to my Infection Diseases doctor, all antibiotics have left my system and I am ok to try for a pregnancy. Woohoo. Actually, there are a couple of things I would like to do first. Get my hA1C below 6, make sure my VitD is ok, start taking more folic acid and my pre-natal vitamins, and cut down on the caffeine. I think February is a good month to start trying.

Baby #2, here we go.

One smart little girl...

"We're collecting money for so-and-so's new baby"

I don't mind chipping in money for a co-worker's new baby. I've been doing it for years. I do it knowing that when I have a baby, they would do the same for me. Well, I had a baby and some people that I've contributed to, did not return the favor. This is not one of those situations where you're giving them a gift like Christmas or birthdays and you don't expect a gift in return. I am contributing to help out a set of parents get started because a baby has a HUGE start up cost. So you would think that they wouls realize that and help me out. Some people just doesn't know how to be a good co-worker. Ugh.

My baby lost that "new baby" smell

The drool monster no longer smells like baby. Thanks to the constant drooling, he smells more like sour milk. BWB bathes him every other day but apparently this is not enough. I think I'm going to resort to rubbing a dryer sheet on him like the dogs on the off days. Me <-- best mom ever.

Hello. My name is...

...the dude (name I call Caleb most often)
...baby Hulk (for when he is really angry)
...slobber wookie (for when he is super drooly)
...smiley (self explanatory)

The flu, the baby, and me

This past Wednesday, I came home feeling tired, achy, and with a massive headache. BWB thought it sounded like the flu. Flu? This time of the year? Me? To satisfy his anxiousness, I took my temperature, 100.6. eep!

So while I waited at the clinic, BWB packed everything the dude needs. I called as soon as the lab results confirmed that it was indeed the flu. By the time I got home (15 minutes later, there were no dude, no BWB, no pack n' play). The house was so empty!

Tomorrow, Sunday, they are coming back. Thank goodness. I've missed my boys so much!

Here are some things I learned about this experience.

1. Though your baby can stay with you if you have the flu provided of course you wear a mask, do not breast feed (pump and someone else feed), and washing your hands often, if it is possible, send the baby away, especially if he is under 3 months. Because if he gets the flu or develop a fever, it is a definite hospital stay with a lot of invasive tests.
2. Whether he stays or goes, make sure you continue to pump and let someone else feed him that breast milk. It has antigens from fighting the flu which would protect him from this particular strain.
3. If you are on Tamiflu, he can drink your breast milk because not a lot of it will be in the breast milk and the benefits outweigh the risk. I don't know about Relenza.
4. If you do send your baby away, make sure you do not have a fever (without fever reducing medication like Motrin or Tylenol) for at least 24 hours before he can come back. (Save the breast milk you've been pumping while he's gone to feed him)
5. If you're taking Motrin and your fever has only declined a little, you can add Tylenol to the mix. They are different medications and work on the fever differently. I took the Motrin every 8 hours and in between there, at the four hour mark, I take a Tylenol. Of course, always consult your primary health care provider or pharmacist before starting any medication regiment.
5. The flu virus can live on a hard surface like table for 24 hours and on soft surfaces like towels for 30 minutes. Try not to touch anything the baby will touch/use and if you're anal like me, wipe everything down with Lysol with bleach and wash clothes/bedding in hot water.

I'm so thankful to the nurse practitioner at RediClinic, the nurse at my pediatrician, and the nurse at the local nurse line for all their help and information.

Hi ho hi ho...It's off to work I go

Many mothers face this dilemma, do I go back to work or do I become a stay at home mom (SAHM). I've never had to wrestle with that decision. For one, I love my job too much. Secondly, I miss having adult conversations. Or rather, adult conversations about something else besides babies. And three, I appreciate the dude so much more when I am with him. The first day certainly was hard. I had to put a picture of him as my background image. I even had to drive home for lunch so I could give him a hug and kiss.

I found that 8 hours being with him, talking to him, playing with him, I began to view him as this parasite almost. Someone who was sucking my time, energy, and the me that made me, me. I never resented having him, but I just couldn't be with him 24 hours a day. Luckily my awesome hubby would take the dude and I was able to go shopping (well window shopping), pick up take out, and talk to my girlfriends on the phone.

Now, I get to work on time because I want to get off work on time. I spend all night with him and when I put him down for bedtime, I don't think "the day has finally ended". I, instead, think, "I can't wait to see him again tomorrow".