Life of Carrie: April 2007

More Run of the Charles

Run of the Charles

I paddled in a canoe race this weekend. The Run of the Charles benefits the charles river watershead association. The race is a NUHOC tradition. This year the undergrads actually emailed the alumni list and challenged us to enter the race and see who wins. It was great NUHOC had 5 boats in total. 2 Boats organized by our alumni generation, 1 - young alumni boat, and 2 undergrad boats. I was in the mixed class race in which each leg of the race has to have 1 male and 1 female paddler racing. The race starts in Dedham and is a 26 mile relay race into Boston proper. I paddled the 5th and final leg with my friend Ralph Horak and we had a great time. Our boat finished 3rd out of 9 mixed boats. We beat the undergrads in time I think.

One great thing about our organizers is that they are a bunch of engineers and they rigged up a wheel system on both boats that helps us to portage the boat fast during the race. There are several portages that you have to do in order to avoid dams on the Charles.

Check out the photos of the race and the practice the day before (there is a few of the party after too!).

2 month appointment

I took Abby to her 2 month appointment yesterday.

Everything was a-ok with her.

Stats - 23 inches long, 11.9 lbs
I thought she would be 12lbs by now but the doctor said she is gaining in the normal range.

Then they gave her the shots (3 injections, and 1 oral dose of the rotavirus vaccine).
It was rough to just sit there while the nurse stuck her 3 times (twice on the left, once on the right). It was not a fun day. You hand over a content, happy, cooing (she does this now - it is so cute) baby to the nurse. The nurse sticks the baby, and the baby cries out a cry that most moms are not used to hearing (high pitched, wailing, loud PAIN cry). Then the nurse hands you back this screaming, red faced, REALY PISSED OFF baby. I felt so bad for Abby. When I took her home, she went right to sleep for about an hour until like 3:30 when she woke up screaming again (same kind of scream as in the appointment). At that point I started giving her tylenol. For the rest of the day until like 8pm if her eyes were open she was screaming, NOT like her at all. I gave her 2 more doses of tylenol thru the night and she seems fine today. I'm glad that's over.

Smiling Abby

This is at the request of my mom who didn't want to look at my sad face in the last post :-) I understand this feeling now as I would rather see Abby with a happy face.. like here.

Thinking about next week

This is the sad little face Abby makes when she is starting to get 'uppity'. I'm still trying to capture hers on film but for now you will have to look at my sad face.

I have to go back to work next week. Tuesday May 1 will be my first day back at Broad - Abby will be exactly 10 weeks old. Ugh, I'm so dreading it - I never thought I would say that.

I love my job - really I do. The work is satisfying, I have really awesome co-workers and supervisors, there is inspiring leadership, and most of all the institute is doing worthwhile things for the future of medicine and science.

I can sum up my thoughts in two statements:

1. I want (and need) to go back to work.
2. I don't want to leave my baby.

Why do these two statements above have to be mutually exclusive? It's so sad that this is the reality of most of our lives now. We have to leave our kids to support their lives. Our finances require 2 incomes (like most everyone I know these days) so I have to go back. I just wish I could stay home a little longer. Just a little longer please? The trouble is if I do that either I don't get paid, or I have to use up ALL of my vacation. If Abby does become president someday she can push for a federally subsidized extended maternity leave program ;-).

The good news is that Abby not going to daycare yet. She will be with Tighe for the month of May. I don't think I could emotionally handle dropping her off at a place yet where she will not recieve 1 on 1 attention - she is still so tiny and requires so much 'love'. I'm sure Tighe will be superdad this month as he also is going to try and 'work at home' for at least 4-5 hours each day. I hope he enjoys being with her for the month, I think it will be a special time for both of them.

Everyone I talked to (other co-workes with kids, my mom, my sister etc) said I will eventually adjust to the new life (working and being a mom) but it will be hard.

This motherhood thing is just one adjustment after another in rapid succession. First you are your normal self, then you are a pregnant woman (lots of ajusting there), then you are a stay at home mom (for a few weeks), and then you are a working mom.

Oh well, we will see how it goes - I'm sure it will all work out - its just so hard to think about that first day in the office for 8 full hours. All that time will go by without giving Abby a kiss on her little head! Boo hoo...

Yoga at Fellsmere Park

Walk like an Egyptian

Warrior Pose

We have this cool park down the street that has a pond. Tighe, Abby and I went down there today. This warm weather rocks, please let it stay!!

Abby is in the Baby Bjorn that Jess gave me, I've been using this alot lately now that Abby is a little bigger. It is great because she will stay awake in it for awhile and see the world. This I think must be a nice switch for the baby from being in the stroller where they can only see upwards towards the sky.

Abby in her Red Sox shirt

She is smiling because we beat the Yankees yesterday :-)

Abby can sit in the Bumbo Now

Last Great Beginnings Class

This week was my last week of the Great Beginnings new moms class at Isis Maternity. This class was awesome, as was our instructor Nancy Holtzman. She is like a vault of knowledge on baby care (she is a nurse), breastfeeding (she's also a certified lactation consultant), and how to calm, entertain and stimulate babies (somehow she just knows all those good tricks).

The best thing about the class was meeting other moms who are in the same boat. The women in the class are amazing and powerful women with 'kindred spirts' and I'm proud to know them. It's great to have another avenue (motherhood) thru which to make friends, it sort of opens up a whole new social circle because you realize you need to find supportive people who know what the current joys and challenges are in your life. I think we will stay in touch (we already have some tentative plans for exercize dates etc) and it will be great as our babies grow older for them to play together. Shameless plug for Isis - www.isismaternity.com

Here are some photos from our last class.

Baby Circle - Starting with Abby and going clockwise we have, Abby, Lucy, Jane, Zeke, Meredith, Oliver, and the Bruiser Thomas. I think Thomas is trying to make a move on Abby and hold her hand.

Abby is reaching for the sky :-)

Here is the group photo moms and all.

Abby does Tummy Time

According to the child development books, babies need 10 minutes of 'tummy time' 3x a day so that they can learn to hold up their heads and develop those neck and shoulder muscles.

Here's Abby doing some tummy time.

Dr Kobelin

I had my post-natal check up this week with Dr Kobelin.

Everything was all good according to her, she was such a great doctor. I couldn't say enough good things about her office staff and her ability to deal with my craziness thru the pregnancy (I'm not an easy patient at all!).

I asked her to pose with Abby for a photo.