A little Update-y

Let's start with my teenage daughter. Sigh. Just like so many of us with women's issues, the big diagnoses is "We don't know". Every test checked out fine, even the CD3 labs. So. Birth Control pills were prescribed to help regulate her cycle. I am not sure how I feel about that. Not because of the "permission to have sex" thing it sometime can imply for teens. More because it's adding artificial hormones to the mix. But I understand it's the best thing for her right now. Because being in a constant loop of bleeding and ovulating and bleeding some more with no break is ridiculous. It's been a loooong time since I was ever on the pill, so maybe it's better now?? Also, I had no copay for a 3 month supply, so that was nice. No idea how or why, but I'll take it!

We had a clog in our main line sewer, most likely caused by one of my kids. After 2 days last week of not being able to use water, it is fixed. Some water backed up into the basement, but it was thankfully contained to a small area near the laundry. A bit of carpet got ruined, but we were going to eventually replace it anyway. My homeowners insurance will cover the replacement of the entire basement carpeting and some low drywall they had to remove. The adjuster was out a week ago and cut me a check on the spot, which I didn't expect. So now I just need to price out carpet. They only had to remove the carpet by the laundry area, so the majority of the basement is still intact and useable, so it doesn't really look so bad down there. I really wanted to put laminate down, but as I wasn't anticipating doing the flooring right now, I don't think I will have enough insurance money to do that. We are debating waiting to do all the flooring until we can save up the difference, but my kids are making the argument that they like carpet down there better. So we will see.

Last week was nuts because of all of that, and this week has been one of those weeks where every single day I have been at the store. I have 4 stores I shop at for different things. The main grocery store is my lunch meats and a few other speciality things, a discount grocery is where I buy milk and most of my produce, Trader Joes has some snacks I love and a yogurt that is amazing, and I use a Super store for everything else. I don't usually need to visit all the stores every week, but it happened this week was one of them. And because of the little ones, I was only able to do one trip at a time. So every day I have shopped. I have to try to plan that better next time. Luckily all the stores are either a couple minutes from my house, or right by somewhere else I have needed to be so I didn't have to go out of my way really.

I have to do some continuing education credits for my job. I purchased an ebook and the test, but when I went to download I must have clicked run instead of save. I printed off the test, and then couldn't access the text the next day. Read the email again and it has a big disclaimer about limited downloads and know how to use your device, ect. So I had to call and say I'm an idiot and beg for an extra download. Then I get that download saved and all is well until last night when my laptop had a black screen. Google didn't help me fix it, so I was going to take it to a local place. When I called the guy said he was closing his business but was nice enough to give me some tips to try, and I finally got it fixed. I was so afraid I was going to have to call and beg for another free download. Good grief. I need to get this test done before anything else happens.

Going back to work and otherwise balancing my family has been pretty easy. I can tell I am out of practice working long hours on my feet because my body is just SORE by the end of the weekend. Mondays are usually a hang in my pjs kind of day. But I actually went back kind of seemlessly on all fronts, other than getting up at 4am to give me time to shower, dress, nurse, and pump before getting out the door. And it still feels like I am rushing. But I can NOT get up in the 3 o'clock hour, that's just not happening.

My former best friend who went a bit nuts on me and ended our friendship before I had the baby went back to texting me pretty quickly after all of that as if nothing ever happened and said she thought I misunderstood her, which I didn't but whatever. She had even asked to visit me in the hospital, which I declined. I periodically receive texts from her and it's clear she is having a rough go of life and also doesn't really comprehend that all the stuff that happened that she instigated really pushed me away from her. I haven't really said much back because there isn't really a whole lot I could even say. And I am ok with that.

My 2 year old is SO two. It is exasperating, and sweet. He is definitely showing some of that jealousy and regression from having a new baby. It didn't really hit until I went back to work. He is very stuck on me. He doesn't get mad at the baby, he just wedges himself in when we nurse. I hold both of them together ALOT. Sometimes I get a little frustrated by it, but mostly I am really trying to embrace it and be patient because I know one day I will miss it. And man, he is just SO sweet looking at me with his bright baby blues. Melts me.

The baby boy is seriously the happiest, chattiest, laid back little guy ever. He makes it so easy to say I could do this again if I could choose to. Toddler boy was and still is more on the grumpy pissed off, high maintenance side, and so I definitely don't take this for granted at all. The first couple months are always hard adjusting to a new one, but the 3 month mark everything really started falling into place and it's been so nice.

My middle girl is 11. She has recently decided she wants to learn how to bake, which is about the age I started. She helped a ton at Christmas, so I have been letting her try new things. She needed to make cookies for school last week and I wrote down the ingredients (I don't often cook with actual recipes or measurements) and she did it all on her own and cleaned up after herself. The cookies came out very well for her first ever try. It's been fun because I come home from work to all kinds of treats that she tries. My teen is taking a cooking class in highschool, so she uses the weekends to do the home projects. It's not helping me lose the baby weight though. I wanted them to have a special treat tomorrow morning, so I am going to surprise middle girl with a recipe for cinnamon buns and we will work on those tonight.

Speaking of losing the baby weight...I was trying to do the 30 changes thing. I do pretty well with food logging and what I eat. I find I don't have time to do actual workouts. I don't know how to fit them in. Because Toddler can't be left alone, and he no longer sleeps in a crib I can't do a dedicated workout unless he falls asleep. By the time everyone is settled for the night, I have to have some down time. So much time is spent sitting:nursing, playing with toys, reading. I know that will change with warmer weather, so I really just have to realize that this is where my life is right now and give myself some slack. Being depressed/stressed about baby weight isn't going to help. Plus, limiting calories doesn't work because breastfeeding makes me SO HUNGRY. So I eat until I am full, and try to make the best choices I can. As long as I continue to hold steady and not gain I am going to be ok with that for now, and hopefully as the weather gets better and I can be out and about more the scale will move down. Also...stupid Fitbit trackers aren't as accurate when you push a stroller or shopping cart, so that's really frustrating when I know I have walked more than 200 steps in the grocery store!!

I probably am forgetting other stuff I wanted to say, but I just realized I forgot to feed myself lunch, and the doctor called saying she wants more labs done on my daughter, so I have to run out the door as soon as she gets home in 10 minutes.