All I learned from my first two weeks back at work....

So we made it through my first week back at work.  It'll be interesting to see how we find a new balance in the next few weeks.  

• It is entirely possible, although not advisable, to carry a pump, bookbag, purse, 2 lunch boxes, 2 daycare bags, and a baby in her bucket seat while holding the Goober's hand down to the car in one trip. 
• The Goober turns into Miss Wiggly's bodyguard in the big kid room.  He determines who gets access to Miss Wiggly when we are picking him up from the big kid room.  Not surprisingly, the little girls in his class get more access than the little boys.  He is getting better and knocking less of them down during his crowd control.  
• No matter how quietly I get ready in the morning, Miss Ninja Ears is up within 5 minutes.  
• The Goober should always be second of the kiddos to get ready.  If he's ready first, out come the toys and the "what do you mean I have to put my toys away to go to school" tantrum. 
• Your coworkers will pilfer your toolbox while you are gone and it takes a few days for it all to find its way back home. 
• You will misdial everyone's extensions for at least three days.  
• If the Goober sees his tricycle he will want to ride his tricycle around the block even if it is already dark.  
• The Goober only wants to hold my hand when I don't have a hand available to hold.  
• There is no worse hat hair than hardhat hair. Great ego boost when the kiddos comment on my bad hair day.  
• Few things will phase a big rig driller. One of things is forgetting and then remembering what I am doing on my "pumping break". Ha!  

We are getting a grove going and at this point that is all I can ask for. Well that and for the Goober to not swipe my tangerines out of my lunch bag. Baby steps :)

Heading Back to the Office

Two week left.

I have two weeks (minus 1 day) left of my maternity leave.  I've already started getting the ducks in a row to take care of the wiggly wee, the goober, my hubhub, and myself while I head back to work.  I'd be lying if I didn't say I was nervous.  I am nervous and excited and hopeful.  I am also lucky.  I found a partner who does more with the kids and around the house than a lot of the dads I know.  I found a day care that the goober definitely likes and where I feel comfortable taking the wiggly wee.  I also have a job that is flexible on some levels, juggling the wees with fieldwork has always been a challenge but it's worked out ok so far.  It will continue being a work in progress.

In all of this rowing of ducks on of my Hermanas suggested a book she read in her book club, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.  Considering how long the wait list at the library was for this book, I had a feeling that it was going to be an interesting read.  I'm typically a sci-fi/fantasy fiction kind of gal and so, as generally happens with two kiddos and a non-fiction book, the book sat on my dresser with the other books that I checked out that day at the library for three weeks.  I received my email from the library reminding me to return or extend the lends I still had.  All of the books were renewed with no problem, except Lean In.  On no! Because of the massive wait list for this book, I couldn't renew it.  I could either return it, put myself on the long waitlist, and hope to have a chance to read it once I was back at work (yeah right).  OR! I could make time to read it and simply deal with the 30-cent-a-day fine.  So, $2.10 later, I am so happy that I read it.  I apologize to the readers who were just behind me on the wait list.  Fear not, I will be turning it in today!

The book really resonated with me.  The book touched on prejudices we program into ourselves at a young age.  It discussed negativing corporate structure not only as a woman but as a mother.  There is incredible power in the knowledge that you are not alone in your struggles.  I was able to relate to so many of the experiences describes in the book that I was able to learn from how different people dealt with those situations.  I don't really recommend too many books to people.  Unless you are a sci-fi fan, you're not really going to want to read what I would recommend.  This book, I recommend to everyone who can read.  It was worth the wait and it made those 2am feedings go by a bit quicker.

I am dreading the return a little less now.  I am definitely exited to get back to some the projects I had to hand off to when I left almost four months ago. [There are others I would be more than happy to see permanently stay with their new "owners".  I just have a feeling that those will be the first to be kicked back to me.  Oh well.] I'm just not going to stress so much about the logistics, the boring stuff, the stuff that always takes care of itself since those ducks are already in a row.

So in two weeks (minus 1 day), I'll be back at the office figuring out the momma with 2 kiddos thing, the field geologist thing, the office geologist thing, the fabulous wife thing, and all of the other things that go with being me.  I'll be ok.  I'll figure it out.  I always do.

Bonding with the Moms in the Women's Lounge

With a small one as little as our wee one, it's easy to feel trapped in the house to make sure that the feeding/changing/pumping occurs every two to three hours.  At first, I never ventured far from home so that I could get back home to take care of Miss Wee One.  Lately, I've been venturing farther and farther and for longer periods of time. I've been finding out which places do and do not have changing tables and which amazing places have mother's rooms.  I still don't understand how the library does not have a changing table.  (You'd think with all of the storytimes and events for kiddos that there would be at least a changing table.  Nope!) Babies R Us is always a good bet with regards to a mom's room for feeding and changing.  A gem I have found is actually in the South Bay Galleria.  According to the other moms I have met in the Women's Lounge in the Nordstroms of the Galleria (on the third flood), it's the only place in the mall where you can feel a wee one away from public eye.  The few times I've been in there, I have met some pretty fun moms.

I recently hit the lounge on an errand day that ended at the mall.  I met a mom (we never exchanged names) who also had a super wee one (about a month old) and a toddler (just a month shy of 2 years).  For the half hour we were in there together we traded secrets, did the "oh, I get it", and just vented to each other about the desire to hide from our kids so that we can go to the restroom without the audience. It was just nice to chit chat with someone who is in almost exactly the same boat I'm in.  If I ever see this woman ever again, I'll be shocked.  Oddly enough, it probably wouldn't have been as fun an experience if I saw her on a regular basis.  For a short period of time I was able to connect with another human being and it was nice. It took me out the bustle of my errand day and reminded me that too often we whiz past each other without a second thought.

So, ladies, seriously, The Galleria, Nordstom's, third floor - It's a nice and relaxing place to take care of the wee one when you are out and about.

Introducing Religion to the Kiddos

The interesting thing about being a mixed household is deciding how we introduce religion to our children.

I haven't always had the best relationship with the Catholic church and until the last few years I wasn't sure if I wanted to pass that down to the next generation.  Just after my confirmation I was pretty much rejected all things Catholic.  Interestingly enough, it was the two year process prior to my confirmation that convinced me that I should not be confirming my faith but in our catholic community and in my catholic school that didn't really seem to matter.  I was supposed to be confirmed and so I was going to be confirmed (whether or not I wanted to).  It's the idea of "going through the motions" left a sour taste in my mouth.  No surprisingly, I left the church for a very long time.  I find myself back at the church a few years ago.  Thankfully, under the direction of the Jesuits that seem to dominate the churches in California, I was able to approach religion and Catholicism in a new way, a way that made sense to me.

Fast foward to the late-2000s when I fall in love with and marry a Jewish man.  The question of religion is an obvious one... what religion will the children be?  Traditionally, in the Jewish community religion comes from the mother but at the same time more and more conversions are being accepted in the Jewish community.  Also, most of the Jewish holidays are celebrated in the home where as Catholics church is where we celebrate the major holidays.  Ultimately, we decided that we would celebrate both Jewish and Catholic holidays.  We would expose the children to both religions and ultimately leave it up to them to decide which path they wanted to follow.  Having had my religion forced on me even when I knew I didn't believe what I was being taught, I never wanted to put our kids in that position.  Our goober has been baptized and we are in the process of working that out for our newest wee one.  Aside from that, we're letting the kiddos decide if they want to take it any further.

Having grown up in the church, it is easy for me to think about how I want to introduce the wee ones to Catholicism.  But what about Judaism?  Aside from the Old Testament, I have no clue.  Luckily, since most of the holidays are celebrated in the home, I have learned a LOT in the last few years of heading over to the in-laws but learning by osmosis is not really the best way to try to pass on traditions to the kids.  Enter in the PJ Library.  My MIL signed up the goober for the program.  Every month he gets an age-appropriate book that talks about an upcoming Jewish holiday or prayer or tradition.  Last Easter, I thought it was fitting that the goober wanted to bring his new Passover book to church to entertain him during mass.  It's a great idea.  An amazing way to introduce kids to religion in a fun and simple way.  I'm actually jealous now that there is no Catholic version of the PJ library.  I've looked.  Of course, there are plenty of books for kids about Catholicism including the children's bible that the goober has.  It's just not the same as his excitement when he gets mail and it's a new book from the PJL.  We rip open the envelope and read whatever book he's gotten right away.  Maybe there is something out there that I have missed.  I know it's not a competition but it's just a really cool idea that is well executed.

Right now, I'm just happy that he's into his books.  Right now, I'm just happy that the wee one sleeps through most of mass tucked away in her carrier :) Right now, I'm just happy that in the life we've made for ourselves it's okay if they want to be Catholic or Jewish or whatever feels right for them.

All in a year

About a year ago we experienced the Watermelon Fiasco of 2012. It boggles the mind that that was a year ago. Since then I sort of fell off the face of the blogger universe.

Recently, I thought to myself that it would be a good time to start up again, make some good use of what is left of my maternity leave.  Now that I've got the feeding/pumping/sleeping/cuddling/ocassional shower aspect down of my life down, what else can I do during the wee hours of the night :-)

So a year is a long enough time that some catch-up is neccesary. What have I been up to since the watermelon fiasco of 2012? Let's see. I flew cross-country with a wee kiddo while pregnant solo for a long weekend on the east coast. I finally passed my big big state geo test (Whoo!). I actually had kiddo #2. We planned and executed a fabu party for kiddo #1's birthday. And most importantly, I slept six hours in a row last night :-) ! It's the little things that make my day bright.

Great! Now that we are all caught up, I can take another catnap with the wee-est one and catch you all soon!

Finally caught up on the family photos, sort of...

So I've finally loaded up a ton of photos on our family photo site http://pgobiren.shutterfly.com/!

Keep in mind, that it is quite a feat to get a non-blurry photo of Flash Gordan!  Seriously, I'm lucky if most of him is in focus.  I hope you enjoy!  :)

Le Petit Menu

So being who we are, Steve and I have been enjoying cooking and preparing Max's introduction to the solid food world.  We've tried rice, carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, peas, regular potatoes, and apples n potatoes.  He's pretty much loved everything so far.  For tomorrow, Steve made him some oatmeal n apples.

DELICIOSO!

When folks ask us about why we make our own food.  I mean, yes, it's nice to know exactly what is going into the wiggly one's belly.  We're not super picky about the organic thing but it's nice to know where the food is coming from.  It's nice to keep our little glass jar count down.  It's fun to pick out a new veggie or fruit for the wee guy at the market on Saturdays.  But honestly, I am just genuinely staring to enjoy cooking.  I cook for Steve and me why not for Max, right?

Now, I'm just looking for some inspiration.  I've found a couple of cool websites with baby food recipes.  For right now I think we'll stick with whatever is in season at the market.  I'm always open to suggestions if you have them!  Bon Apetit!

6 months ago today...

Napping in his own room

Six months ago tonight I met my wiggly one face to face. Seriously, six months... WOW. It has definitely gone by quickly as often as it has gone by slowly. We started off our day with a Skype call to Max's Godparents (we're using Max's baptism as an excuse for a mini-vacation back east). We went through all of his clothes to figure out what needed to go into the "too small" bin and what could come out of the "Auntie" bin. TiTi Cathy and Aunt Anna have made many contributions to the Auntie bin and we are super thankful for Coby's and Evan's sharing :)! Lastly, we moved Max's crib into his own room. We've had two naps in there so far so he hasn't seemed to notice a difference. It's been a rainy Sunday so we've been doing all of rainy day chores. Not the most exciting way to celebrate his first six months but he is at least wearing clothes that fit him.

Finding the "Me" time

I didn't get married and start my family until I was in my early thirties (when do the mid-thirties start anyway? I'm 33, that's still early thirties, right? HA!).  As a result of this "later" start to the whole family thing, I spent my early adulthood, being my own boss.  I decided what I did, where I went, with whom I hung out.  I still have that freedom but I now need to consider these two other folks that are in my life.  I like to think that I'm not TERRIBLY selfish but I do enjoy my "me" time be it hitting snooze an extra few times in the morning or my workout time with buddies.  It's part of this massive juggling act that is called being a working momma.  So I can go out with the girls for massive Umami burgers (I took the wiggly one to give Steve his night off).  I can also hit the gym on my nights off but I also like to be home to cook dinner for my guys.  So on I go... juggle juggle juggle... It's okay to be a bit selfish every once in a while :-) I think I'm getting the hang of it... sort of :-)

A small present from my little guy

My Sleeping Goober

On nights that I take care of my wiggly one, I have come to terms with the fact that although I will get 7-8 hours of sleep I will be getting that sleep in short chunks.  Recently, he has been sleeping from about 9-10pm until about 2:30am. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get him to tend to him and get him back to bed and then he's down until about 4:30-5am when he is UP for the day.  Last night, 2:30 am on the nose (the kid has a seriously accurate internal clock), he is up.  We are both back to sleep by 3am... and then I hear this weird buzzing noise.  What the H is that?  Glasses on... looking around the dark room... and then I notice my phone doing it's little dance on my nightside table.  My first thought was that someone was calling me.  I started thinking about how I needed to explain timezones again to my east coasters.  Then I realize it's my alarm.  My alarm is going off? Why would my alarm be going off? It was 6:30 in the morning.  I PANIC.  Why? I don't know. I just did.  I run to the crib and look down at Max who is just laying there smiling.  He's wide awake but quietly playing with his socks.  He's just hanging out while giving Mama two extra hours to sleep. It's been a long time since my alarm has actually woken me up, instead of just letting me know it's time to get everyone moving on the road.  I got a sweet present from my little goober today.  I'll cherish it because I'm sure there will be plenty of nights when Sir Goober will be keeping me up all night long. :-P

Surviving the First Week of Working Mommyhood

For a full week I've been getting up every morning and kissing my two guys goodbye before heading off to work.  The first few days weren't too bad.  I missed my little guy but Steve has been sending me picture of Max throughout the day.  It also helped that Max was asleep in the mornings when I headed out.  Unfortunately, the last two days he's been awake and ready to play.  Having to leave him when he's awake and so happy has definitely been the hardest thing for me.  It has helped that when I get home he's happy and ready to play (hopefully not realizing that I've been missing for the last few hours).  Steve has one more week of his time off with Max then I won't get my daily pictures for him.  We're getting ready for his day caring, labeling galore!  So far, I'm getting used to the working mommy world.  In a week, once we introduce daycare, I know we will have to readjust again.  In the meantime, Max seems happy and that's all that matters :)

Even More Photos from Mama's Phone

I've uploaded additional photos to the collection I've called "From Mama's Phone 2011" especially now that 2011 is now over.  He's definitely more active in the most recent pictures.  If you slideshow the photos from start to finish, it's incredible how much he has changed in just these first few months.

You can check out all of the photos at http://pgobiren.shutterfly.com/1742.  Enjoy!

More Photos from Mama's Phone

Understanding that I do spend a lot of time with my wee one, I have uploaded new photos to the collection I've called "From Mama's Phone 2011".  You'll notice that most of the pictures are of him in his high chair/ car seat/ or play mat.  That's the easiest way to make sure my hand or arm aren't in the picture.  I'm sure the photos will diversify once he can hold himself up.  :) You can check out all of the photos at http://pgobiren.shutterfly.com/1742.  Enjoy!