New Year's and Beyond

Work, home, flu, repeat (throw in hand foot and mouth disease, oh joy). It's been a doozy of a year. I sometimes wonder why my immunity is low. I have a great husband, a nice home, a terrific job. Then I remember that we also have an unexpected one-year-old (not that we didn't expect her to make it to one year, more that she was unexpected and everything has pretty much followed from there), lost a home, lost a business, live with my mother, pay student loans... So, as I say, it's been a bit overwhelming.

So this year, I'm going back to what works--hiking, traveling, enjoying time with family (yes, even my mother), and time with my friends. Denise is coming to visit in a couple of weeks and Marcy and I are taking the kids to Second Saturday downtown. I'm also going to start going to Monday's Meet Me at Maynard's regularly. Anyone who wants to join us, feel free.

A happy and healthy new year to us all.

Good Morning

When did I turn into this morning person? I should be asleep since Crabby Abby is knocked out again. Instead I find myself doing dishes and planning the day. A big part of the planning involves washing all robes/shirts/dresses that have suspicious glistening spots near the shoulder. Bedtime is generally 9 PM, although last night I not only stayed up until nearly eleven, I also had some tequila and made popcorn. When did this become a good time?

Eh, life is good but this getting old thing is really throwing me a curve ball.

So Much For Heartless

Maybe it's good. Maybe having a heart is a good thing. But having a baby with a fever stinks. And I don't just mean that she stinks. I mean it's heartbreaking. Boo.

More Stuff about Boobs

As you may have noticed, I'm pretty adamant about breastfeeding. What I didn't know was, when you sign up for this ride, there's no easy way off. I thought I had mastitis before because of a 24 hour achy, miserable fever day. Today, I've learned, maybe that was a 24-hour flu, because now...now I am experiencing pain. Pain that seeps into the ribs and up into the teeth. All this from waiting to pump until 3:30 in the morning.

I still know this is the best for the kiddo. I know it is less expensive and I don't take part of the $4 billion annual taxpayer subsidy we call WIC (a good program gone awry), but I will say again, this is not easy.

Part of the problem now is finding information about weaning. All the information assumes that you are either one of the people that goes immediately to formula or you will breastfeed until your kid is darn good and ready, even if that is years from now. Is that the norm? It's not for me. I need to sleep through the night. I NEED it. And I need to do it without feeling like I took a body blow from Bruce Lee.