Workin' Mama

And it's exhausting! I'm drained. And the weekend seems to be about 2 days too short! I have to give major props to working moms. Some moms really can do it all. I'm convinced I am not one of those moms. A full day of work plus an hour drive each way is about all the productivity I have in me for one day. When I get home I am beat. I don't have energy to make dinner, clean the house or help take care of Lydia. I do my best to push through the exhaustion and contribute as much as possible. I make dinner probably at least 50% of the time. But I feel like a total dud sometimes! Some nights I don't even have the energy to shower. And then I dread having to get up at 6:00am the next day, only to repeat it all. I feel lame.

On that note, I'm very grateful to have a full time job to help pay for our expenses, but man do I dislike what I do. I'm not used to mind-numbing work. Especially 8 hours a day of it. Just thinking about it is making me dread tomorrow. I don't know if I have ever been more bored before in my life. It's a job and it pays, but beyond that, I can't wait for it to be over!

I was able to dentistry for the first time since getting my license last weekend at Mission of Mercy. I volunteered Friday 10:30-5:00 and Saturday 5:00am-5:00pm. I loved every minute of it! I gave anesthesia (injections) on Friday and Saturday morning and was able to volunteer in the pediatric clinic in the afternoon doing fillings and extractions. It reminded me why I chose dentistry. It also reminded me how disappointed I am that I have not found a dental position yet. It brings back a lot of frustration, but at the same time, it makes me hopeful for the future that I will really love what I do. I am yet again learning a lesson in patience.

In other news, miss Lydia is doing much better with drop-off time at daycare. I have been dropping her off a little later so that I can drop her off in her room instead of another room before her teacher gets there. That has helped Lydia feel more secure when I drop her off, I think. She is also sick again. Sigh. Not good. She has had a runny nose, cough and fever for the past couple of days. DH stayed home with her yesterday and I stayed home with her today. Poor thing. It would be nice to not have to put her in a daycare with a ton of other snotty kids, but it seems to be the best option for us right now. When Lydia gets sick, of course the rest of us do too. I'm hoping it passes soon and this isn't going to be a trend through the winter.

In pregnancy news, I am now 4 months (16 weeks pregnant)! Yay! I made it to the second trimester! Here's how I'm feeling:

- My morning sickness is slowly fading, with some days being better than others. I am trying to wean off my Zofran (anti-nausea meds).
- I am definitely showing. My pants started to not button at week 15. I got a couple pairs of maternity work pants at Goodwill for $7 (for both). One pair is Gap Maternity, and the other Liz Lang.
- I've gained 2 pounds since my last appointment. That puts me at a net gain of +2 since becoming pregnant (-5 lbs in the first 8 weeks, +5 pounds week 8-12, +2 lbs week 12-16). Not sure what my Ob is going to say about that, since she said I gained too much last appointment... I disagree with her. If she says I gained too much this time too, I might just switch providers. Is that unreasonable?
- I'm very very tired! By 2:00pm I am about ready to curl up and take a nap. Sometimes I wonder how I am going to stay awake through the hour long drive home. I also frequently feel the need to go to bed before 9:30. Very tired.
- I have to snack all day to keep my stomach from growling at me. Every couple of hours, at least. I try to pack plenty of health snacks to bring with me to work (apple, nectarine, yogurt, etc). I've also been getting a coffee almost every day thanks to my wonderful friends and family who showered me with coffee shop gift cards!
- The Little Bug is quite the mover in there. I started feeling flutters at about 14 weeks and feel some jabs usually at some point throughout the day.

I think that pretty much sums up everything that has been going on in our lives. DH is in Ohio for the next couple days on business, so it is just me and Bean :) Hopefully everything goes smoothly on our own.

Our Life Lately

I am now a week and a half into my new job. The first week went pretty well, minus throwing up Monday. This week has been rough. Lydia was sick Sunday and Monday with a fever. It took a whole 5 days after starting daycare to get sick. That's fast. I hope it isn't a sign of things to come. I hate it when she is sick - I feel so bad for her. Yesterday I was feeling absolutely terrible. I wasn't sure I was going to make it through the work day. I toughed it out, but I wasn't nearly as productive as I normally am. Today, I felt horrible pretty much from the moment I woke up. I tried my best to suck it up and make it to work. I was about 5 minutes away from work when I had to turn around and head back home. I felt like I was going to have to pull over any minute to throw up. I came home and got back in bed (after my 2.5 hour commute). I slept for 7 hours. I woke up at 5:00, had some soup and goldfish and laid on the couch. I still don't feel all that great. My stomach and my lower back hurts. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm hoping it is gone by tomorrow and I can get back to functioning.

This pregnancy has been less than enjoyable so far. I know I have written that (a lot) already, but it is really frustrating for me. I really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy and continue to eat right and exercise. I haven't been able to do either so far. I enter the second trimester on Monday and I am really hoping the honeymoon stage starts.

In the mean time, I am going to try to distract myself with the Olympics! Sorry for all the complaining :-\