And then I got a flat...

September 26, 2013 (11 weeks tomorrow)

Last weekend I realized that I tend to plan out my days quite a bit, which means I also plan out Sierra’s days too. Friday I brought Oso and Sierra to Land Park to go for a run in Sacramento before the mothers’ group meeting at 10am. One of the women who runs the group was moving. Since she was the first person to reach out and help me with my cloth diaper questions, I wanted to say good bye to her. Immediately afterwards Sierra, Oso and I went to Arden Hills to meet the director of a conference I will be presenting at this winter. As it turns out he and his wife will be having a baby soon too, so he really enjoyed meeting Sierra. 

Saturday Sierra, Oso, and I went for a run with the newly married, Julia and her dog Taj. We met them at the Yolo Bypass… we knew there was a possibility of rain, but we thought we might miss it. Not a chance. This seems like the typical way things work with Julia and I. We were still about 30 minutes away when it started to rain. Julia and I took our jackets and tied them up so that no rain would get into the Bob stroller and onto Sierra (I SWEAR I'M A GOOD MOM!). As it were, every time I looked down at Sierra, she was staring out the small hole between the Bob and the jackets. It truly seemed like she was enjoying herself throughout the downpour. Unfortunately, the Bob tires weren’t doing so well. The fine soil we were running on became clay-like very quickly and stuck extremely well to the stroller tires, creating a clog. It felt like we were pushing a 50 pound sled up a hill. Julia and I traded off pushing! 

The rest of the day Sierra napped on and off while I prepped dinner on and off for the pre-concert meal! Sierra was going to her first concert, Buena Vista Social Club! Julia, Chris, Lyn and Grandpa Wick all came over. Grandpa Jeff was up from Costa Rica, and will be in town for a whole other week. The concert was so much fun for everyone! Luckily they didn’t make me buy a ticket for Sierra (although they truly made us believe that it was the norm). 

Sunday morning Sierra and I met up with a great couple from the labor and baby class that Gus and I took. I had been wanting to get together with them for awhile, and we finally were able to get our babies' schedules worked out for it! I thought since it had rained the day before I should bring the "pack-and-play" for the babies to lay on (and essentially stare at one another). So when I got to the town green, I strapped Sierra in the Ergo and began to attempt to set it up. I must have looked like a bumbling idiot! Two sides clicked into place but the other two sides wouldn’t. So when Jill, Ian and their baby, Marion, got there I was having quite a bit of difficulty. As luck has it, they saw their friends who also had a baby, and we all thought perhaps they would be able to get it to work. Alas, the pack-and-play was a mystery to us all. (If this were an Aesop’s story the moral would be: Figure your $hi* out before you take it out in public). It was a great morning of baby gurgles and adult conversation in the end (even without the pack-and-play). I did finally figure the darn thing out at home though. Sierra also got to see her buddies Wes (Jill and Levi’s baby boy) and Jack (Lisa and Jeremy’s baby boy) for a walk later in the afternoon on Sunday too. She LOVES to look at other babies, as all babies apparently do. 

It is so fun to get her experiencing different things, but I must say it was nice just to stay in on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before I had to go to work this week. I even napped with her on all 3 days! Grandpa Wick has been a great sitter for us this week; he even has made a chart of her behaviors for us! Today after our swim class we ran into our mom and baby friend Jill and Marion again and talked about how funny it was to be within the new friend circle of moms and babies in Davis (a bit surreal when pre-prego I was essentially friendless in town). Sierra was so pooped from swim class she even fell asleep in her car seat, WOAH!

On my way home from work today I got a flat and all I could think was that it was going to take away from my time I was going to get to be with my family! Luckily, a very kind Asian man named Frank stopped and helped me figure out the tire jack and within 15 minutes I was on my way home! Now I know how to change a flat!

When does saying goodbye get easier?

Sept 19, 2013 (10 weeks tomorrow)

I question if saying goodbye before I leave to go to work ever gets easier. People say it does, but I tend to doubt them. I think it is completely dependent on the day. For instance, if it's a Monday and I just spent 3 days without separation from her I am more emotional than when I leave on a Thursday (because I know our weekend together is just a few hours away). Either way, sometimes there are moments that I have with her right before I leave that make my life so much happier. On Tuesday before I left, right after Auntie Lyn came over, I was having a hard time saying goodbye... so I was talking to her and smiling at her. All of the sudden, she started laughing at me. Oh, how Lyndsey and I laughed. She continued to chuckle as did we; it just made me the happiest mom ever. Those are the moments that sit with me; that I think back on while I am at work.

The weekend with my friend, Liz, was awesome. We wanted to show Liz as much of our area of California as we could in one weekend, which also meant showing Sierra a lot too! We went for a "mellow" hike at Sly Park Reservoir on Saturday. I must say, that my memory as a mountain biker on this trail is completely different from that as a mom with a Bob stroller.

All I have to say is, thank goodness for the head and neck support we have in there! It was a little more bumpy than I remembered. 

 Liz helped me lift the stroller over roots and rocks the whole way.


On Sunday we met with Grammy Anne and headed to Napa to check out Mondavi vineyards and have a late lunch. 

So our crew had a great weekend, although Sierra skipped her nap and was a little cranky at the end of it!

Lyn had a good week sitting for us with Anne's help and love on Monday. Getting to better understand Sierra's rhythms is fun for the whole family. Even when we hire Keta and Oso to watch the baby!

Moms' group on Wednesday and swimming on Thursday were both stimulating and fun too! She seems to be developing so quickly now. She seems to enjoy "talking" a lot, as well as the stories I read to her each morning. 

Pictures say 1000 words

September 13, 2013 (9 weeks... 2 months and 1 day)

We loved our time in Humboldt (minus the drive). We saw the Redwoods and the Pacific Ocean!

Sierra was quite a beauty for the wedding ceremony and reception.

Julia and Chris were a spectacular couple and had an intimate ceremony on the beach.

It was so wonderful to meet up with my close friend Anna again; I don't think Sierra has ever heard me laugh so much in one sitting.

We also saw our good friends Katie and Lucas who get married in October. The rest of the week went on well; we had Auntie Lyn as our sitter for the week (which was great).

We went to our mother's group on Wednesday and our swim class on Thursday and walked the arboretum with a friend, Marisa, and her baby this morning. This afternoon my close friend Liz came to town, ALL THE WAY FROM PHILADELPHIA! So happy to have her here. We have a big weekend planned for her. Sierra was in a bit of a mood because she had her 2 month shots today (thank goodness, Aunt Lyn came with us to help). Plus Grammy Anne will be coming up on Sunday to visit which will be fun too.

Going Home, Where the Heart Is

9.5.13 (8 weeks tomorrow)

I'm sure every mom does this at some point in her child's short time of sleeping in their crib or perhaps long after while they sleep in their beds... I find myself staring at my little baby as she sleeps. Now that we put her down in her crib to start the night off, I have the chance to see her more from a distance. I peak in at her as she lays, so small, so sweet, asleep in her crib. I know these days will pass us quickly and I treasure the moments I am able to watch her like this.

Sierra's day at work last Thursday was a success as it turned out, and the anxiety that I had initially felt about it was just wasted energy after all. Luckily, we were only there from 2:45pm-6pm so she didn't really have enough time to be a fussy face! She didn't cry on the way in, she slept in the office, and slept in the Moby wrap as I coached my team. The kids were thrilled to have her around too.

Friday was arguably one of the more busy days we have experienced in her short little life, thus far! I woke up, fed her, ran with her in the Bob, lifted in my garage as she swung in the swing, we went to the doctor's for my "6-week" post-partum visit, we stopped at my work to drop off some paper work, we went to a mother's group meeting, had lunch with Crystal, met Papa at the UC Davis pool (which went swimmingly), came home to meet Uncle Onkar, and then all 5 of us headed out for dinner at the Village in downtown. Phhhew! We made it through that whole day... she was such a trooper.

Saturday Gus and I woke up at 6am to go to Rockville Regional Park, where he mountain biked and I ran and hiked with Sierra in the Bob. Gus recently repaired and "upgraded" my Bob tires with puncture proof liners and gue to go into the tires. This is because we kept getting flats from our thorny "goat-heads" (some weird weed with super poky needles) that are all over the ground in this area. So after pulling 14 needles out the other day, Gus decided to make a change! So far so good. Shortly after we came home, all 5 of us went to the farmer's market and to the Berryessa Gap Brewing tasting room in Winters. It was fun, but since Sierra hadn't had an afternoon nap it wasn't our best experience. The rest of the day Sierra let us know she wasn't happy with the disruption to her schedule.

Sunday brought reprieve, since Sierra was able to get her naps and regular feedings in...she does not like the bottle nearly as much, so she seems a lot happier when I can breastfeed all day. Gus and I went on a cleaning spree all day after we said goodbye to Auntie Crystal and Uncle Onkar. We felt pretty satisfied after having the inside and the outside of the house looking good again, and our baby fairly happy with the day's events.

On Monday we went to the Crocker Art Museum, where our friend Stacy works. She wanted to see the baby, so we made it a point to stop by. There was a free family event there called "Buckaroo Days." Sierra was too young to take in that much of it, but I am sure she enjoyed the stimulus anyway (although this picture might say otherwise).

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Sierra was able to spend time with her new babysitter and her children. I keep thinking of all the positives of being back at work, instead of dwelling on how much I miss spending time with her everyday. It hasn't been easy, and figuring out a pumping schedule while working has been quite hard too! Gus has been spending more alone time with Sierra than he ever has before. It's been challenging for him, but I am so proud of him for being a patient papa.

Wednesday before I left for work we were able to get out to the mom's group which is so great for both of us. I feel like I hear a lot of great perspectives from the moms there and Sierra loves hearing the baby sounds (this week was mostly 6-9 week olds). It felt good having a full morning with her before I had to head out. Thursday morning we went to our free swim class! Sierra's a natural in the water of course! It was great to meet more babies, sing songs about water time and watch her splash around. She just seems easy going about all we do, except for getting in the car seat...scream fest!!! It is easier going to work each day if I feel like we have had a full morning of "meaningful" interactions before I leave.

Early tomorrow, Gus, Sierra, and I are driving up to Humboldt to go to our close friends' wedding. Julia will be such a beautiful bride! We are so excited to show Sierra an area we love so much. The ocean, the redwoods, and the cool air!!! It almost feels like going home when we go up to Humboldt.