Week in Review

We made it through another week of work/daycare with relative ease. We also made it through Millie's first cold.

The week started off a bit rough as Millie started getting congested Sunday night after mommy and daddy had come down with colds the week before. I was really hoping that Millie would be safe and not get it since she's breastfeeding, but no such luck. On Monday she decided to stage a bottle-strike at daycare and only took 2 ounces with Stephanie. Fortunately she ate with mommy at lunch and at home, so it was likely due to a combination of having just spent a weekend with mommy and not feeling well. We were slightly worried it might be her ears...

We had a few restless nights where Millie woke up to eat a lot and struggled with her stuffy nose. We did our best to help her out with saline drops and the nose syringe plus lots of cuddles and love. It was rough having to take her to daycare when I knew she wasn't feeling her best, but I also knew her days were better than her nights and that she would get lots of care from Stephanie. Fortunately the bottle strike only lasted one day and Millie ate well the rest of the week. Pumping at work and feeding Millie at lunch time has been working out well and Millie seems to have plenty to eat everyday.

Friday night mommy went out with Emily (Will's mom) and Katharine (Anna's mom) for a mommy's night out. We enjoyed swapping baby stories and advice, though we missed the other moms. It's been really nice to have this group of women to talk to. The e-mails fly during the week regarding feeding, pumping, work, daycare, and just general management of being a mom. Whenever one of us thinks we're alone in a problem or concern we might be having, someone else chimes in that they are dealing with the same thing. The support is just amazing. It's also nice to know that we have people we can socialize with who will welcome babies into the plans :). So, mommy went out and had a drink and some food and daddy and Millie stayed home together -- for the first time. Daddy was very confident as mommy got ready to leave. Millie was fed, there were two bottles in the 'fridge (way more than Millie would need), and she was in her 'jammies ready for bed. Mommy left around 6:00 knowing that Millie would want to eat again in about an hour and that she would be winding down for the night around 8:00. The big question of the night was what would Millie do when she got hungry and mommy wasn't there? Well, she did just what she was supposed to do -- she took her first bottle from daddy!! 3+ ounces! When mommy came home (near 10:00) Millie was fast asleep in daddy's arms on the couch. The night was a success for everyone ;).

Not only did daddy have a banner night with the baby, but he also found mommy's wedding ring that she lost when they first moved to CT almost a year and a half ago! He found the ring sitting in the middle of the floor in the rec. room! We are thinking that the ring had been caught up in some clothes in the closet in the rec room and that when daddy took his suit in and out of the closet the week before for his trip he had somehow released the ring from it's hiding place. Daddy presented the ring to mommy when she got home ;).

We've spent our weekend happily at home as a family -- catching up on sleep and chores around the house. We are so happy that we have tomorrow off as well! Millie is still quite phlegmy, so the extra day at home will be much appreciated. Millie held her first video conference today when she talked to Grandma Lainey and Grandpa Ric in St. Louis and Uncle Christian in Denver all at the same time. She gave some smiles to everyone, but her attention span was pretty short :). I'm pretty sure that in about a year she'll be calling people on the computer all by herself! She is a genius baby after all... :).