Life is different

People keep on asking me if I'm sad to be done with maternity leave, or how it's going juggling everything.... and I am kind of at a loss for what to say sometimes. Hulk has brought a HUGE amount of joy to our life. Is life 'harder' with a baby in the mix? I wouldn't say that... I would just say that it is different.

Aaron and I lead a really active life. We aren't the kind of people who just go to work and come home. Aaron coaches a soccer team and plays in an adult soccer league. I am big on taking long walks with the dogs and going to the gym, and about 2 nights a week I'll be out with different groups of friends. Now that Hulk is here, we are trying to find a balance. Many times, he just comes with us. He loves watching Aaron play soccer! Going for walks in the woods with the dogs?! Heaven for the little man (who knew watching the trees go by was so exciting?) But, there are times, now that I'm juggling work and a new baby, that I've realized I can't can't make a quick stop on the way home to grab milk. I would be late to pick up Hulk. Or I'll be on a conference call that starts to run late at work, and realize I need to drop or I'm going to be late. Before, 'late' meant that dogs would maybe be crossing their legs when I got home. If I'm late now? I've got a little guy waiting to see his mommy.

Life is less about me, and more about 'we'. I depend on Aaron to be home in time for me to be able to go to the gym. Aaron depends on me to get Hulk to daycare in the morning when he has 6 AM meetings at work. We were a team before, but now we need to be a tighter team, if that makes sense. The reward? Big gummy baby smiles (usually - but the sad faces are pretty damn cute too). Totally worth it.

Mommy's Lucky Charm

Remember what I was doing last year on St Patrick's Day? Yep, my embryo transfer was on St Patrick's Day. I was never big on celebrating St Patrick's day - but now? That silly drinking holiday is forever changed for me.

We thank our lucky stars every day that you are here!

Dreams

Hulk and I are getting better from our colds - thanks for all the nice words the other day. Mine was so bad that even a snort of Afrin wasn't helping! And poor little Hulk was sneezing and coughing... I just felt so bad that he can't have anything to take the cold symptoms away. Although, the only thing that seemed to happen was that he was waking up in the night (which he hasn't been doing for a while). He's been back on his 'normal' 8 hours for the past 2 nights - so fingers crossed we are back to normal. Yesterday, I felt well enough to go to the gym, and that made me feel even better.

But. I want to know if any of you other new parents out there are having whacked out dreams? Pretty much, ever since Hulk was born, I'm either dreaming that I'm sleeping hugging him (he doesn't sleep in bed with us - I wake up and I'm hugging a pillow) or I'm dreaming that someone has stolen him. The hugging dream is nice - even though I wake up in a panic that I'm crushing him... but the stolen baby dream? I hate it! Most nights, it's some different variation of someone taking my baby. I finally told Aaron that I was having these crazy dreams - and he said - well, you know I'd never let that happen in real life, right!

Wordless Wednesday - Walking with Dad

Babies and colds

Hulk and I have a cold. It sucks. It sucks in a million ways.

So Weird

I usually work from home on Mondays and Wednesdays. For the next three weeks, on Mondays, my aunt is coming over and taking care of Hulk in the house while I work. But today - I drove my little man to daycare, and then came back home. I'm sitting here, in my house, BY MYSELF. It's a little crazy. That hasn't happened for 3 months.

Aaron has been working crazy hours this week - hasn't come home before 10 PM yet. Yesterday is the day that we've been working towards him meeting me on his way home from work to take Hulk so I can go to the gym. I really look forward to it... and we were really planning on it last night. He ended up not being able to meet me last minute (I was almost at the gym) and my friend really saved my sanity by watching him for me! It really does take a village, huh? Anyway - since Aaron has missed his baby fix at night, he has been getting up with Hulk in the morning. This morning, he got up with him at 6 AM, and I totally missed that event. I haven't been setting an alarm for work, because Hulk has religiously been getting up at 7 AM since he was born (hungry or no - I think it's the sun). Well. This morning? It was 8 am.

Damn kid isn't reliable.

I was running around the house like a madwoman trying to get him and I dressed so I could get him to daycare! I like to be logged in by 8 AM at the latest... so I was scrambling. Turns out, I can get out of the house in 20 minutes if necessary. I'm so glad we have such a great day care place only 3 miles from the house!

I play!

Today, we have a huge snowstorm going on. I was already planning on working from home - but my Aunt was going to come over and watch Hulk. She called and said she was snowed in and would be late. So Hulk and I were playing on the mat - and look at what he can do now:

He is grabbing at things and hitting them! My boy is playing!

Mary is here now - so back to work for me.