Back to work... kind of.

So I had lunch with my boss last week. Sean and I had pretty much decided I shouldn't go back to this particular job, but there was one problem in my eyes: I have already been out of work for over three months (including bed rest) and I really should have let them know sooner that I wasn't coming back. Part of why I didn't was because I wanted to collect the extended medical leave pay (only fair given they don't offer maternity leave), but I also thought I might not have much of a choice in going back as far as finances.

Anyway, I didn't want to screw over my boss (who is a great lady) nor did I want to burn bridges and ruin what would otherwise be a stellar reference from a job I have held for a couple years. So we decided I will go back part time for about six weeks in order to help them catch up with encountering and cases and to help train someone new. They are already in the hiring process because another worker moved out of state to go back to school, but I don't think they have found anyone yet. 

I start back in two weeks, Oct 5. I will work three days a week: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. I was fortunate enough to get to choose the days, because these are the days that our family members can watch Ari. He will be with my mom on Mondays and with his aunt Mandy on Tuesdays and Fridays. I don't want to go back to work, even part time and temporarily, but I feel so much better that he will be left with family. Aside from my natural tendency toward anxiety and paranoia, working for daycares and CPS really left me with a fear of leaving my own child with strangers. :p

My boss thinks that once I go back I will want to keep working. She said she thinks I'll enjoy being out of the house and "baby-free" etc. Yeah, right. First, that job is super stressful and busy and crisis-driven and I'm worried about this affecting my milk supply in various ways. But also when the cost of going back to work is calculated out, I would only be bringing home anywhere from $3.75 to maybe $5 an hour.... LOL. Yeah, I don't think I'll want to stick with that kind of paycheck for that kind of stress.

Two weeks left of staying home everyday with my baby... I am going to try to enjoy it, even when he is fussy and waking up every two hours at night! ;-)

Two Months

Ari is two months old today. He had his two month check up; he is a healthy boy. :) He is 10lb 1oz and 22.5" long - 25th percentile for both. At his two week check up he was around the 3rd percentile, so this was a good jump for him. The doctor said his umbilical hernia was very small and minor, nothing to worry about and it will most likely correct on its own within a few months (about what we figured). He had to get immunizations today, which was tough, but he did pretty well. We gave him tylenol beforehand and he screamed pretty good when the first shot went in but stopped crying within a couple minutes, and then I fed him and he was fine.

Ari can hold his head up for long periods of time, roll over from his tummy to his back, push up with his legs and hold all his weight while "standing," smile, track objects with his eyes... and he can (and often does) sleep for 5-6 hours straight at night! He also loves it when mama sings him lullabies and Mockingbird is his favorite - it can calm down a screaming fit faster than most anything else. ;)  He likes to be rocked, he likes to sit up and look around, and he loves to go outside. He continues to be fascinated with the ceiling fan as well.

Here he is this evening, all tired out from his doctor appt, bandaids and all.

I tried to take some two month pics earlier today, but he was kind of fussy as you can see from that pouty lip in the second one.

Somehow when he sleeps on dad, his head starts up by dad's chin and he is vertical, but he always ends up like this.

And some smiles from earlier this week, just because. :)