Too Much Information

So it seems, per the peanut gallery, I need a nanny so that I can blog more often (personally I blame my employer for filling my working day with actual work, but then again, I haven't been laid off so I'll shut my trap).  Last time I wrote (in April), it was about the Decorah Eagles that are pretty much all grown up and hanging out on a branch near the nest.  Talk about empty nest syndrome.  I had to stop watching them every moment of everyday because I was getting anxiety about their first flights!  Ha!


But a lot has happened since then that I haven't told you about.  Birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, camping with awful cicadas, layoffs at work, baby milestones, annoying bastards, finding money, etc.  See, it's been a lot. (b o r i n g g g g)

Normally I like to keep the baby stuff to the baby blog (Dani is 8 months old today) but I figured while I'm here, I'll do what I do best and vent in my blog.  Stress at work has doubled over the last two weeks as a supervising engineer has left HOK and put me in the position of taking on more responsibility with my Wishard  project (now called Eskanazi Health).  Just the tasks alone are overwhelming.  Add to that working on good relationships with those I now have to work with regularly (not a people person).  And then add even more to that, an individual had me in tears Tuesday for something that ended up being nothing. 

So the point of mentioning all of this is to tell you that the stress levels that I have been under have been making my milk supply drop. Yes I know, too much information, oh well.  But the reality is that I am a full time working mother who has chosen to try and feed her child with what breast milk I can produce while I am away from her.  That alone, being away from her and trying to pump every 3-4 hours has put a toll on production.  Now with the stress and what has become the end of nursing as we know it at home, the girls are just not up to making the liquid gold.

So you may ask, why not just stop?  Good question!  I was being encouraged to stop by one engineer at work (same person who left), and an being encouraged to stop by my husband.  In their defenses they see the stress that pumping with little reward is putting on me (and the disappointment of "failing").  But I can't, this milk is the one thing that I, and only I can give Dani, and I'm joyed to be able to do so.  I had a one year goal and I want to make it.  It's absurd I suppose, I don't know many working mothers that essentially exclusively pump and continue past 3 or even 6 months and I've made it to 8.

So I've made a deal with myself that I will stop when, for an entire week,  I no longer produce each day as much as she consumes in a day (and we're close).  Until then, I'm going to drink my beer, eat my oatmeal, take my fenugreek, and try some relaxing breaths at work and see if I can get the girls pepped up and producing!

But a fun note, we decorated a coworkers desk today for his 40th birthday!  Happy Birthday Andrew!

The Gospel According to Biff

It's Monday. I can't say if I'm glad or sad about this. On one hand, it gets me back to my routine, on the other hand it gets me back to my routine! In either case, my hands are full of routine!

Anyway hi-lights from the weekend and road trip to Kansas City:

Boca di Boppi (actually Buca di Beppo, but Eva and I took it to extremes and had a whole conversation that no one else understood! In fact, I am sure we didn't understand either!)

Matt and Erika Herring have an adorable child (looks like a baby). It, I mean she, cries a lot. I have a soothing effect on the child for some reason. Eva has a similar effect. I believe this is for two reasons. The child loved our plump bosoms, and we sang Rancid to her. Who wouldn't love to be serenaded by Rancid?!?! Her name is Molly and she's a cool little thing. For the record, they are good parents.

There were weird rabbits located around the Plaza in KC. Don't ask me where the Plaza is, all I know is that it was south of our hotel. Anyway, weird rabbits all over. Giant human sized weird rabbits.

Eva and I bought boots. Larry's boots. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

Free hugs were being given out at the Plaza. Free hugs guy restored my faith in humanity, but as usual, that quickly flew right out the door. What happened? Oh nothing really, just a accumulation of annoyances. I have a very very tiny list of people that are allowed on my planet (free hugs guy is one of them). Sorry, but there isn't enough room on my awesome planet for people that make me mad or annoyed. (Holly & Drew, you are both good, you are family that I like, you get to stay so don't get paranoid).

I think I drank sour milk, still alive though.

My newest Madness album showed up in the mail!

The English Beat were awesome. Eva and I almost didn't even go. The local KC crap radio station was holding a Prom Theme for the show. Eva and I showed up in our cowboy boots, jeans, and regular tops. Everyone else (except for maybe 3 other people) were in prom gear. Tuxedos, dresses, gowns, etc. We did however go in and skanked our happy little hearts to soreness! An adorable boy standing next to us (in a stylish and dapper hat (drool)) skanked with us. The girl he was with was not too happy about this. Oh well, we had a great time!! Great, and I mean great show!

My blog crush Justin Z. made the Toronto Star (local paper). You should read the article and blog!

I, as usual, bought a new book to read even though I am reading two books (and a third for work) as I write! Looks good though. A book by Christopher Moore called A Dirty Job. Very few people could vie for favorite author in comparison to Douglas Adams, but Moore is one of them! He wrote a book called Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal that I really enjoyed. I'm excited to read Moore (yes, pun intended)!

Well, this is where I need to stop and move forward with my routine! So now, the words, you know what I'm talking about:

Friday - bardcore: A pornographic movie with a Shakespearean plot.
Weekend - C and E: People who show up at church only on Christmas and Easter.
Today - girlfriend button: The button on the controller of an Xbox, Playstation, or Wii you have to press to pause the game when your girlfriend wants to talk.