Back to work, back to reality

After 12 weeks of bonding time, it was time to get back to the "real world." I may have been dragged back kicking and screaming but back I went. I have now completed one week of work. Actually, I completed 4 days of work, since the claims management company called me on Friday to inform me I still had one day of leave left and didn't have to return to work until Tuesday. Yay!

My mom came back to town to sit for us last week. I'm glad she was able to do that because I don't know how well I would have coped with having to go back to work and put her in day care the same week. I am taking this Monday off and Chris is taking Tuesday off to watch Agatha, and she will officially start day care on Wednesday, which is also her three month birthday! I can't believe she is three months old already. Ca-razy.

Anyway, going to back to work wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The first two days weren't great, but it felt pretty normal by Thursday. A lot of time gets eaten up by the pumping process. The "Mother's Room" is in another building, so I have to walk over there, set up my machine, change into my make-shift pumping bra (psst...it's just a sports bra that I cut some slits into), pump, clean up, get dressed and walk back. The whole thing takes about half an hour. And I have to do that three times a day.

We also got our hospital bill the other day. Yikes. Luckily, my mom came in handy again and called the hospital which said based on our income we might qualify for a full or partial discount of the bill. That would definitely help. Did you know babies are expensive?

I managed to spend part of my birthday money. I bought a new bag for myself to lug my laptop, wallet, lunch, etc. to work. And I bought a duffle bag for Agatha and got it monogrammed. I know! I wasn't supposed to spend the money on stuff for her (per my rules) but I couldn't resist and it made me really happy. I'm very excited for it to arrive.

I also bought some crafting supplies. My mom got my a heat gun for my birthday to use for embossing and other crafty things, so I stocked up on fun stuff. I'm planning to try it out on some Halloween care packages for our nieces and nephew. I'll post pictures on the other blog.

More Stuff, Random Stuff

I just finished reading a book, The Opposite of Me, and I enjoyed it but there was something off about the book. The story took place in 2009 or 2010 and the protagonist was a 29 year old woman. And:

• She repeatedly mentions "cyber cafes"


• Her twin sister lamented choosing between Calvin Kleins and Jordache jeans in high school


• Mentioned wearing Gloria Vanderbilt jeans in seventh grade


• Complained about lack of Mars bars in vending machine

Cyber cafes don't really exist anymore. People just go to coffee shops with wifi. I understand that you might go to a "cyber cafe" if you don't have a computer, but the main character has a laptop and mentions that she is in a coffee shop. But she keeps calling it a cyber cafe. This seems really dated to me.

I am basically the same age as the main character. Calvin Klein and Jordache jeans were not the "it" jeans to be wearing at that time. I grew up in a small town but even there those jeans were popular ten years earlier then when the main characters would have been in high school.

Same goes fro Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. Weren't these popular in the late seventies and early eighties? Not early nineties, when the main character would have been in seventh grade.

Mars bars were discontinued in the US in 2002. I don't think I've ever even seen one. Wikipedia says they were relaunched exclusively to Wal-Mart in 2010, however. That doesn't explain why anyone would expect them to be in a hospital vending machine in 2009.

Basically, the book was pretty good but I kept getting distracted by all the weird inaccuracies. I was talking to Chris about it and he said it sounded like someone wrote it with a different time period in mind and then decided to set it in modern day and forgot to change the details.

Other stuff, other stuff. I have to go back to work on Monday. BOOOOOOOOOO! I really don't want to. I like my job and I am sure after a few days it will be fine, but I already feel the overwhelming mom guilt of leaving my child in someone else's care.

I am almost done with Agatha's Halloween costume and it is The. Cutest. Thing. Ever. I can't wait to show pictures. I have to stop myself from dressing her in it every day.

Chris' parents sent me some money for my birthday and I am going to spend it ALL on MYSELF. Not stuff for the house or the baby or put it in savings. ME. I'm going to buy pretty, dumb, frivolous stuff just because I want it.

Chris got me the Rifle Paper calendar I wanted and the Design*Sponge book. I am so happy and look forward to enjoying both.