It's 9:20am on Friday and yes, Jenna and I are just getting up! Jake so kindly offered to take Lauryn to Missy's this morning so I could sleep in and have my last weekday of maternity leave with just Jenna. What a guy, he is awesome! And let me tell you, we haven't done much but cuddle! :) It's just finally hitting me that I'm not as ready to return to the working world like I thought I was. I am experiencing soooo many emotions today and it's only 11am!
-I am thankful that I have had a wonderful, 13 weeks to be at home with my family.
-I am grateful that I work for an institution that assists and allows a 3 month leave.
-I suddenly feel like it was yesterday when my co-worker, Tracy, said.."Honey, you look really, really tired, are you pregnant?"
-I can remember calling Angie and making her interpret 2 different pregnancies tests.
-I can remember so very clearly being in my physician's office, ready for an ultrasound, scared to death and not knowing what she was going to find.
-I can still feel the tears in my eyes that instantly formed when I got my first look at Jenna at that ultrasound! So very relieved I hadn't miscarried, it wasn't ectopic, or cancer! After 3 weeks of worry we found out everything was fine!
-I can remember preparing Lauryn for the next 9 months that she was going to have a baby brother or sister. She always insisted that it was baby Jenna in Mommy's belly.
-I can remember being so disappointed that labor hadn't started when we went to bed November 15. Mom and Dad were here and it would've been perfect.
-I can still feel the pure excitement and joy when my water broke that next morning and asking Mom and Dad if they could stay another day! :) I couldn't have asked for it to work out better!
-I can still picture Jenna the first second she was born-she was absolutely beautiful and looked just like Lauryn
-I will always remember my entire labor & delivery team-I like to call them my 'A' team
-I truly believe in music during labor/delivery-it relaxes you and takes you right back to the moment when you hear those songs again. I will treasure Lauryn and Jenna's CD's forever
-I can remember crying during labor...not because I hurt, but because we are soooo blessed and wondering why Jake and I deserve to have such a beautiful life together. We are incredibly lucky to have 2 healthy, gorgeous children and after being together for 11.5 years, we are still best friends!
-I can still hear Lauryn when she saw Jenna for the first time, 'Mommy Baby Jenna come out!' she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
-I can remember Jake and Lauryn (with flowers in their arms) coming to take Jenna and I home from the hospital-and me insisting that we stop at Jimmy Johns for a turkey/avocado sub since I could eat deli meat again!
-I can still see Jenna's first smile-it was my 31st birthday and her 1 month birthday. She was in my arms and I was singing to her. I still kind of think she was smiling because I sing so bad! :)
-I can't believe how fast time really does go
-I am going to miss our days together, especially our naps with her on my chest.
-I am going to miss our mornings that Jenna slept in and Lauryn and I shared toast on the couch and cuddled. though we can still do this on my days off :)
-I am going to miss seeing Jake for lunch every day
-I am going to miss random trips to BabyGap...though our bank account won't!
-I am excited to see my friends at work
-I am eager to be an ICU nurse again
-I am actually craving some routine
-I am thrilled to not have the kitchen so easily accessible and hoping for some more weight loss in these next few weeks!
-I am beyond happy that we have great daycare and that Jenna will be with Lauryn every day and in the care/love of Missy and her family
-I love that we don't have mandatory overtime and know that 8 hours will go by fairly quickly
-I look forward to days off!
-I know with time, we will all adjust! :)
Have a great weekend everyone! :)
Lauryn putting on the arms-they were actually 2 pieces of celery that needed to go. Max helping in some way, just not sure what.
The finished project
Last night was Lauryn's first night to go to 'school', an early childhood program through Dover-Eyota School District. She was so excited, she could hardly wait! She wanted to go at lunch time and when I tried to explain to her that nobody was there yet and that it didn't start until after supper, she said, 'Well my Daddy there!' She was exactly right, Daddy was at school, just not at her school! :) She had a blast doing crafts, singing, playing with the other kids, and picking out a toy to borrow for the week.
I got to go to school too-they have the parents meet and share parenting tips, etc. while the kids are having their session.
Miss Jenna yesterday afternoon, ready to face the Minnesota cold once again and go to the grocery store.
So is this how Jenna really feels about having her picture taken AGAIN?! Or maybe that's how she feels about Mommy going back to work in a few short days? Or simply showing me that my sweet, little, mellow baby might have some naughtyness in her after all! :)
