Tuesday, August 30, 2011

How I Juggle My Life

Yes, I'm married with an 11 month old son and yes I am a full time History major at Iowa State University. How do I do it? Create a ROUTINE! We are now in the second week of the semester and I have my routine down (for the most part).

Here is how my day as a mom, wife and college student goes down:

*6-6:30am-- Gabriel wakes up, cuddle time with mommy and daddy.
*6:45-7:15-- Husband feeds Gabriel while I shower. After my shower I play with Gabriel so hubby can eat breakfast.
7:27-- Husband takes bus to school. Put Gabriel in walker while I get diaper bag ready for Daycare and eat breakfast.
Around 8:00am we head out for our morning walk and get back around 8:45am and he's at Daycare by 9am.
9:15-10:30am-- Finish getting ready for the day, Housework (dishes, put laundry away, pick up toys). Catch 10:30 bus to campus.

I've been blessed with a wonderful schedule that allows me to be home by 1pm Mon. Wed. and Fri. and by 2pm on Tue. and Thursday.

1:30/2:00pm--get materials for dinner prepped (thaw out meat, prepare veggies, etc.)
2:00-4:45pm--HOMEWORK! This is a great time for my husband and I to get a good portion of our homework done and we get to enjoy the quiet time together.

5:00pm-- Pick Gabriel up from Daycare; spend from about 5pm to 6:30 or 7pm with Gabriel and hubby.
6:30/7:00pm--Give Gabriel bath and do bedtime routine.

After Gabriel falls asleep my husband and I eat dinner and spend some time together. We usually do homework between 7:30 and 11pm.

So far things are going much smoother than I expected, though it is only the second week. I have been blessed with a convenient class schedule and a husband who is a hard worker and great saver so I don't have to work and he only works 10hrs a week. I can only hope that next semester works out so well!

*The average time Gabriel wakes up each day (variations do occur).


Saturday, August 27, 2011

Long Time No See

Wow, so it's been a long time since I've blogged. It could be that we just moved in to our apartment last Thursday, we didn't get internet until Monday, my first day back to college after a year off, LOTS of reading homework, housework, and trying to spend time with my little boy and my husband. Things have been very busy for me lately but it's all so exciting.


Gabriel has successfully completed his first week of daycare ever (though he cried everyday but the lady says he is improving). More surprisingly, I survived his first week of daycare. It was so hard dropping my baby off for someone else to watch the whole day. Each day Gabriel and I get better at saying good bye for 8 hours until I'm able to pick him up. Anyway, I really should be doing my homework now....

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Are you ready for your Perky Day?!

The first thing Dr. Cherny said to me when he walked into my pre-operating room was, "Are you ready for your Perky Day?!" Of course I am! I haven't had perky breasts since I was at least 15 or 16 years old. I was so ready to have the breast reduction and now that it's over and done I feel amazing.

Yes, I am VERY sore, my boobs are swollen, bruised and with fresh scars....but it's 100 % worth it. I went from a G cup to D cup and my back already feels better, and so does my self-confidence :) After my first shower at home I put on one of my favorite summer dresses and guess what!?! NO CLEAVAGE! Well, just a tiny bit but it seemed like nothing compared to the 3 - 4 inches of boob that used to show even when I wore a cami underneath it. I was so happy I started to cry when I showed my husband how I looked in the dress. And they aren't saggy anymore!

I cannot wait for the next 3 weeks to go by so I can pick up my baby boy again and sleep on my side. Not to mention wash my own hair. In about 10 weeks my final breast size and shape should be apparent and I can go bra shopping! I will actually be able to buy bras off the shelf at places like Target or Victoria's Secret!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Hardest Part

So, I finally received the call letting me know when my breast reduction is to take place tomorrow. I am officially NERVOUS! From the moment I got approved for the surgery I have been excited, emotional, and anxious. Now I am also very nervous. Yes, I am nervous about going under anesthesia, about possible complications, and how my husband will react to my new boobs. But mostly, I am nervous about not being in control. I admit it...I'm a bit of a control freak, but in a loving way. Every day I take care of my 10 month old son, Gabriel, by my self. My husband and mom both agree that "Mommy knows best" when it comes to putting Gabe down for naps, the bedtime routine, entertaining him, dealing with tantrums, etc. After the surgery I won't be in control.

That's going to be the hardest part; letting my family take care of Gabe and assume my duties that I do every day. I know they know what they are doing but it won't be the same way I do them and I'm convinced Gabe will wonder "Why isn't Mommy putting me to bed, why isn't Mommy feeding me," and so forth. I know it's crazy, he loves his Dad and Grandma, but I still feel that while I'm recovering from surgery and unable to carry him or even hold him close to me, he will feel like I've abandoned him or let him down.

After the surgery I will not be able to lift my arms higher than my shoulders (think of the old Zombie-type walking with arms straight forward), I won't be able to lift 5 lbs until a week after, and will not be able to do laundry, vacuum, etc. My mom and husband will be  responsible for changing Gabe's diapers, lifting him up, putting him to bed, and will pretty much have to take my place for 2 weeks, possibly three. Yes, I will still be able to sit on the floor and play with him and feed him in his high chair, but that's pretty much it. 

I know that Gabe will be fine but it stresses me out knowing that he might feel neglected and that no one "reads" him as well as I do, no one can tell by the way he is crying or breathing that he is about to fall back asleep or if he needs to be comforted. On the bright side, maybe this will be a chance for my husband to become as attuned to Gabriel as I am; though I know the nights will be tough for him because he hates waking up. Gabriel loves playing with his Daddy and I'm sure it will be good bonding time for them.

Your prayers are much needed and appreciated. Hopefully Thursday I will be able to tell you the surgery went successfully :)

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Going all the way "Cloth"

I have been using cloth diapers on Gabriel since he was 6 months old and I absolutely LOVE them! I wish I had an excuse (or the extra money) to buy more styles and brands so I can experience it all. But I really enjoy the selection we have created as we began our cloth diapering experiement (Fuzzibunz, SoftBums, and Rumparooz). Until the next child I will just have to contain myself.




However, there is one aspect that I have not considered, until now (actually I more like said "Eww gross! NEVER!). CLOTH WIPES! After realizing how much money my husband and I were saving (I calculated by multiplying the number of diapers we used a day when he was on disposables and multiplied that by 31 days for a month, then multiplied that number by 30 to represent 2 1/2 years in diapers, anyway...) by using  cloth (saving about $853.40) I thought about how much more we could be saving by using cloth wipes. Also, our family would be helping the environment even more by not using 3-5 disposable wipes per poopy butt and throwing them into the landfill. After a poopy diaper I would just rinse the diaper and wipes and reuse. How great is that!

Yet I am still on the fence. Will they work as well, can I convince my husband to use them, and is it worth the (little) extra time are just a few questions I am pondering. Later today Gabriel and I will be going to a local cloth diapering store to look at the wipes and hopefully the owner will be able to give me some good insight.

If you have used cloth wipes feel free to leave a comment about your experience!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Play Time

Gabriel had his first mall play-area experience yesterday! However, the pictures are from today because I forgot my camera yesterday (bad mommy, yes I know). He made friends with a little girl who sang to him and taught him to "crawl like a lion!" Today he had fun charming the elderly ladies at the mall.






 Acting bashful when the lady talked to him :)


Ok mom. I'm tired now...