You might have heard that parenthood changes people's preferences and interests. Adventure-seekers become homebodies. Clubgoers become homebodies. Social butterflies become...hrm, a pattern emerges.
Ok, so a lot of new parents spend a more time at home (though not always by choice). The young'uns need a lot of sleep, and the best sleep tends to happen at home, in a crib (or for E's first four months, a swing, but whatever).
More has changed for me than my tendency to stay at home a lot and only occasionally wear pants that need to be buttoned. Here are some other notable changes.
Cleaning and organizing
I don't know if this change has occurred because I spend more time at home, but I am much more interested in keeping a clean house than I used to be. I have even been known to vacuum on a weekly basis. To some, I am slacking, and to others, I am a housecleaning goddess. I think I still fall somewhere in the middle but am much closer to goddess status than I used to be.
On the other hand, some of my useless organizational habits have fallen by the wayside. It's true: the contents of my underwear drawer are no longer folded and organized as neatly as before. Shocking, I know. And that's not all, either. I find that I am able to ignore other projects of an organizational manner without feeling even the slightest hint of guilt. Hey, my life is busy. Reordering the carton of wrapping paper is going to have to wait.
Spending habits
Before E, an objective person might have observed the debits in my personal checking account and wondered whether I had enough clothing already. The answer, of course, would be no, and I question the objectivity of any person who thinks that "enough" is an acceptable adjective for clothing.
That said, my clothing purchases dropped off almost entirely after E's birth, and they have not regained their pre-E momentum. Unfortunately, I am not banking mad cheddar, as my spending has not been reduced. I just spend differently.
Specifically, I spend more on items that I can enjoy at home, such as books and music. I still like being fashionable, but dressing smashingly at home by myself is simply not as appealing as immersing myself in a good book. (Latest fav: Rules of Civility. Dreamy all around.)
(I know I should have a third category/example, but it's been a long week and I'm tired. Let's just say that my eyebrows have become a bit jungly, and I don't care.)
Friday, March 1, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Summer dreaming
Here at the Headquarters de Rooster, life is viral. In other words, we're all at various stages of unpleasant colds. Despite being the index patient of all illnesses, E has more energy than B and me combined. We parents sloth about from one couch to another, hoping that E remains within eyesight so we don't have to follow after him and prevent him from playing with knives or whatever other dangerous items he always manages to find when he wanders away from us.
Of course, keeping E within eyesight is no guarantee of overall safety, as E's belated Valentine's Day gift to me proved. The cute little guy threw a block that landed squarely on my lower lip, resulting in swelling, bruising, and crankiness, not exactly what an already unhappy patient wants. Rather than encourage his clearly MLB-level talents, we will continue to discourage throwing and hope that eventually, he will learn. (Or at least have less painful aim.)
When we're not playing dodgeball with wooden objects, we're gazing longingly at the calendar, looking forward to warmer days, fewer germs, and some time spent away from home. Yes, I'm happy to announce that 2013 will feature the return of travel.
Our adventures are tamer than they used to be, but adventures they will be nonetheless. Here's what's on tap for our family this year:
A spring trip to New York City
When you're still scheduling life around one nap per day, you tend to focus on places that allow you to be in the middle of the action. And let's face it, just about everywhere in NYC is in the middle of the action. We're staying at a hotel that's a bit south of Central Park, where we expect to spend much of our time.
When we aren't playing on the (amazing) playgrounds at Central Park, we'll be visiting the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum, saying hello to the animals at the Central Park Zoo, jumping on the giant piano at FAO Shwarz, sampling macarons and violet ice cream at Laduree, and riding the carousel in Central Park. And staring in awe at all of the trucks and buses that drive by.
A summer trip to Martha's Vineyard
Summer will arrive, and with it will come our first beach vacation in a long time. Granted, we're going in June, so we don't expect to spend a lot of time on the beach, since summer weather doesn't tend to start in earnest until July on the island. However, since our little man tends to be a bit persnickety when he gets crumbs on his hands at mealtime, we're not expecting him to turn into a beach bum by summer. We'll be happy if he's happy to sit and dig in the sand for a bit.
Other activities we're looking forward to on the island: Eating fudge from Mad Martha's, playing on the playground, going to storytime at the Oak Bluffs public library, riding the Flying Horses carousel, seeing the cliffs at Aquinnah, watching the ferries arrive and depart, and stopping by the airport to see the planes take off and land.
A fall cruise to Bermuda
I admit to feeling some trepidation at the prospect of a cruise, given recent cruising events. Engine fires are scary. And having no electricity on a ship is also concerning. However, as of right now, our cruise is on, and we're excited about it.
I think the part of the cruise that excites me the most is not having to prepare or clean up a single meal for an entire week. I'm also looking forward to seeing Bermuda for the first time, introducing E to another country without having to get an airplane or undertake a lengthy road trip, and experiencing some warm weather after our weather has turned cool.
But really, the biggest appeal is not having to cook for and clean up after E for an entire week. And the free soft serve.
Of course, keeping E within eyesight is no guarantee of overall safety, as E's belated Valentine's Day gift to me proved. The cute little guy threw a block that landed squarely on my lower lip, resulting in swelling, bruising, and crankiness, not exactly what an already unhappy patient wants. Rather than encourage his clearly MLB-level talents, we will continue to discourage throwing and hope that eventually, he will learn. (Or at least have less painful aim.)
When we're not playing dodgeball with wooden objects, we're gazing longingly at the calendar, looking forward to warmer days, fewer germs, and some time spent away from home. Yes, I'm happy to announce that 2013 will feature the return of travel.
Our adventures are tamer than they used to be, but adventures they will be nonetheless. Here's what's on tap for our family this year:
A spring trip to New York City
When you're still scheduling life around one nap per day, you tend to focus on places that allow you to be in the middle of the action. And let's face it, just about everywhere in NYC is in the middle of the action. We're staying at a hotel that's a bit south of Central Park, where we expect to spend much of our time.
When we aren't playing on the (amazing) playgrounds at Central Park, we'll be visiting the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum, saying hello to the animals at the Central Park Zoo, jumping on the giant piano at FAO Shwarz, sampling macarons and violet ice cream at Laduree, and riding the carousel in Central Park. And staring in awe at all of the trucks and buses that drive by.
A summer trip to Martha's Vineyard
Summer will arrive, and with it will come our first beach vacation in a long time. Granted, we're going in June, so we don't expect to spend a lot of time on the beach, since summer weather doesn't tend to start in earnest until July on the island. However, since our little man tends to be a bit persnickety when he gets crumbs on his hands at mealtime, we're not expecting him to turn into a beach bum by summer. We'll be happy if he's happy to sit and dig in the sand for a bit.
Other activities we're looking forward to on the island: Eating fudge from Mad Martha's, playing on the playground, going to storytime at the Oak Bluffs public library, riding the Flying Horses carousel, seeing the cliffs at Aquinnah, watching the ferries arrive and depart, and stopping by the airport to see the planes take off and land.
A fall cruise to Bermuda
I admit to feeling some trepidation at the prospect of a cruise, given recent cruising events. Engine fires are scary. And having no electricity on a ship is also concerning. However, as of right now, our cruise is on, and we're excited about it.
I think the part of the cruise that excites me the most is not having to prepare or clean up a single meal for an entire week. I'm also looking forward to seeing Bermuda for the first time, introducing E to another country without having to get an airplane or undertake a lengthy road trip, and experiencing some warm weather after our weather has turned cool.
But really, the biggest appeal is not having to cook for and clean up after E for an entire week. And the free soft serve.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Time and balance
It's been a while. I've still been here. I just haven't had much free time for blogging.
I've noticed that time moves further and further to the top of my problems list when I feel like I don't have enough time. Of course, everyone has enough time. We just haven't all figured out how to do everything we want in the time we have each day, week, or month.
At the end of 2012, I identified two areas in which I wanted to spend more time. First of all - and this should come as no surprise to any mom - I wanted to have more time in which to do whatever I wanted. I wanted more time to read, to blog, to see friends, to do nothing. My current schedule doesn't allow for much of that.
My second time priority was to spend more time working. This wish might come as a surprise to those who don't enjoy their work, but I genuinely do enjoy it and my reduced working schedule has left me wanting more.
Of course, increasing my time in those areas means a decrease in time spent one-on-one with E. A few weeks ago, I increased his attendance at school from four days to five.
I've been tempted to increase Eli's school attendance for a long time, but only recently has Eli established the same sleeping schedule at home and at school. He's been having only one nap per day for two months now (woohoo, finally!), and he naps as long and as well at school and at home.
We no longer have a full (longgggg) day together during the week, but between mornings and evenings, the two of us still spend 3 hours each weekday in quality one-on-one time. I still feel like I know him as well, and I am more patient with him when we are together. (And he is no longer cranky to be stuck at home alone with Mom all day every Friday during the long, cold winter.)
The balance I'm looking for still eludes me, but part of me suspects that statement will be true for a good many years down the road. I do feel like I'm getting closer to balance, though.
I've noticed that time moves further and further to the top of my problems list when I feel like I don't have enough time. Of course, everyone has enough time. We just haven't all figured out how to do everything we want in the time we have each day, week, or month.
At the end of 2012, I identified two areas in which I wanted to spend more time. First of all - and this should come as no surprise to any mom - I wanted to have more time in which to do whatever I wanted. I wanted more time to read, to blog, to see friends, to do nothing. My current schedule doesn't allow for much of that.
My second time priority was to spend more time working. This wish might come as a surprise to those who don't enjoy their work, but I genuinely do enjoy it and my reduced working schedule has left me wanting more.
Of course, increasing my time in those areas means a decrease in time spent one-on-one with E. A few weeks ago, I increased his attendance at school from four days to five.
I've been tempted to increase Eli's school attendance for a long time, but only recently has Eli established the same sleeping schedule at home and at school. He's been having only one nap per day for two months now (woohoo, finally!), and he naps as long and as well at school and at home.
We no longer have a full (longgggg) day together during the week, but between mornings and evenings, the two of us still spend 3 hours each weekday in quality one-on-one time. I still feel like I know him as well, and I am more patient with him when we are together. (And he is no longer cranky to be stuck at home alone with Mom all day every Friday during the long, cold winter.)
The balance I'm looking for still eludes me, but part of me suspects that statement will be true for a good many years down the road. I do feel like I'm getting closer to balance, though.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Easier than a deserted island, and other praise of motherhood
I've been told that E is one of those easy babies who lulls his parents into thinking that another baby will be a piece of cake.
Seriously? This is easy?
I get it. He's easier than some other babies. He sleeps remarkably well with very few wakeups these days. Meanwhile, I still hear mothers in E's room talking about how their kids are sometimes up 3 times per night. Clearly I am spoiled. E woke up 3 times for exactly 1 night, way early on, and B and I both thought we had traveled to hell and back by the time morning rolled around.
I know. If you have one of those difficult babies, you want to shoot me for having such an easy baby. But it hasn't felt easy to me!
E has been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, and the challenge is never-ending. He's around every day! My way of thinking has been forever changed. E's well-being is now my top priority, no matter where I am or what I'm doing.
Sure, I get breaks. Believe it or not, I think of work as a break. On some weekends, I look longingly toward Tuesday, the start of my workweek. The end of a Friday no longer represents the freedom it used to.
So, yes, I suppose in comparison to some babies or say, 14.5 months of being stranded on a deserted island with no toothbrush, E is easier. And under his reign, we've achieved a sort of normalcy.
It's a new normal, of course. In this new normal, I go to bed at 9:00 or 9:30 every night and wake up around 6 or 6:30 every day. I'm home nearly every night from 4 PM onward. I rarely eat in restaurants. My avec-Eli outings are never more than an hour in duration. I dread any occasion that requires Eli to miss a nap. And I spend a lot of time at home. A lot.
This new normal is predictable, and believe it or not, after the chaos of spitup, snot, vomit, and wakeups that were hallmarks of E's first year, predictability is welcome. We've figured out a nice little routine, and in it, E is thriving, I've found more of the balance I've been craving, and B is able to participate more in our weekday activities.
E is now between 14 and 15 months old, and I understand why so many children are spaced 2 years apart. I think most people make it this far and while they feel like they've been through some sort of foggy, sleep-deprived, vomit-covered war, they decide that now that peace has descended, they can do it again.
I am not most people. E has not lulled me into thinking that another baby would be a breeze or even for that matter doable. If I have to go through those feelings of imprisonment again, I think I will become unhinged. (And I'm only partially joking.)
The ladies at E's school keep telling me that they're waiting for E's younger sibling to come to school. I keep telling them that they should probably not get their hopes up...
Seriously? This is easy?
I get it. He's easier than some other babies. He sleeps remarkably well with very few wakeups these days. Meanwhile, I still hear mothers in E's room talking about how their kids are sometimes up 3 times per night. Clearly I am spoiled. E woke up 3 times for exactly 1 night, way early on, and B and I both thought we had traveled to hell and back by the time morning rolled around.
I know. If you have one of those difficult babies, you want to shoot me for having such an easy baby. But it hasn't felt easy to me!
E has been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, and the challenge is never-ending. He's around every day! My way of thinking has been forever changed. E's well-being is now my top priority, no matter where I am or what I'm doing.
Sure, I get breaks. Believe it or not, I think of work as a break. On some weekends, I look longingly toward Tuesday, the start of my workweek. The end of a Friday no longer represents the freedom it used to.
So, yes, I suppose in comparison to some babies or say, 14.5 months of being stranded on a deserted island with no toothbrush, E is easier. And under his reign, we've achieved a sort of normalcy.
It's a new normal, of course. In this new normal, I go to bed at 9:00 or 9:30 every night and wake up around 6 or 6:30 every day. I'm home nearly every night from 4 PM onward. I rarely eat in restaurants. My avec-Eli outings are never more than an hour in duration. I dread any occasion that requires Eli to miss a nap. And I spend a lot of time at home. A lot.
This new normal is predictable, and believe it or not, after the chaos of spitup, snot, vomit, and wakeups that were hallmarks of E's first year, predictability is welcome. We've figured out a nice little routine, and in it, E is thriving, I've found more of the balance I've been craving, and B is able to participate more in our weekday activities.
E is now between 14 and 15 months old, and I understand why so many children are spaced 2 years apart. I think most people make it this far and while they feel like they've been through some sort of foggy, sleep-deprived, vomit-covered war, they decide that now that peace has descended, they can do it again.
I am not most people. E has not lulled me into thinking that another baby would be a breeze or even for that matter doable. If I have to go through those feelings of imprisonment again, I think I will become unhinged. (And I'm only partially joking.)
The ladies at E's school keep telling me that they're waiting for E's younger sibling to come to school. I keep telling them that they should probably not get their hopes up...
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Shoe snobbery
I don't want to start every blog post with an apology for my sparse blogging, so let's assume it's implied from here on out. (Or really, has been implied since E was born.)
E goes to bed later these days, usually around 6 PM, so my free time each evening is significantly reduced (hence the lack o' blog). I try to embrace changes that indicate that he's growing up, but part of me does occasionally miss the free time I had when bedtime was 4:30.
This post wasn't meant to be about E, so I'll keep the updates short. He walks, he runs, and he even talks. Yes, the little man officially speaks the following words:
(Feats that would otherwise be undeserving of this title are amazing when you consider how unaccomplished babies are when they are born. Delicately put, babies are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, and any semblance of intelligence is enough to make you predict Great Things for your offspring. Though probably it's still a bit early to schedule the campus tour of Yale.)
Anyway. Moving on to some non-baby chatter. I wanted to share my newest interest: Shoes.
I've never been and probably never will be one of those women who is obsessed with shoes. (Because then I'd have to give up my jacket obsession, and that's not happening.) Nevertheless, as my wardrobe continues to evolve, I recognize that shoes are necessary accessories to complete my outfits. I cannot wear my slip-on Merrells every day, no matter how comfortable they are. (And they are pretty amazing, considering I've had them for nearly 5 years now.)
I guess that last anecdote illustrates how desperately my shoe collection needs a revamp.
In the past, my shoe buying followed an unfortunate trend. A night or two before an event, I'd realize I had nothing to wear on my feet for the occasion and then dash off to Marshall's, returning home with a pair of shoes that were right in color but wrong, wrong, wrong in comfort. I wasted way too much money and Band-aids.
Now that my feet have graduated to the less readily available size 11 and I have decided to buy only shoes that my feet love, my shoe hunting efforts require more planning. And Nordstrom offers an excellent online shoe collection for those who are willing to delay gratification and shop online.
I will not pretend that Nordstrom is as cheap as Marshalls because it is not. However (spoiler alert: I can justify anything), I'd rather buy one pair of shoes that I love and will wear all the time than four pairs of shoes that will gather dust because they are so uncomfortable and eventually end up at the Salvation Army, where they have the potential to injure so many more feet than my own.
My goal in developing my shoe collection is to eliminate the night-before-an-event-shopping-emergency. If I have a diverse enough shoe collection, I will always have an appropriate pair to wear with an outfit. I am slowly building up this shoe collection.
So far, I have bought two pairs of shoes and one pair of sandals from Nordstrom, and I love them all. With the last two pairs, I stepped up my game and purchased footwear that was made in Europe, not China. I'm not anti-China, but I wanted to determine whether shoes made in Spain or Italy are significantly better than those made elsewhere.
Based on my limited, two-shoe sampling, I have to say that yes, shoes made in Europe feel nicer in my hands and on my feet. I still got blisters from one pair (the other pair I haven't worn enough to know), so they're not perfect, but perhaps I should have taken them for a more conservative stroll for their first showing.
In general, you can expect to pay a premium for shoes that are made in Europe, but on the other hand, they are made with superior materials, and with proper care, they should last longer than other shoes.
Now I need to learn how to take care of my shoes. And perhaps find a cobbler.
E goes to bed later these days, usually around 6 PM, so my free time each evening is significantly reduced (hence the lack o' blog). I try to embrace changes that indicate that he's growing up, but part of me does occasionally miss the free time I had when bedtime was 4:30.
This post wasn't meant to be about E, so I'll keep the updates short. He walks, he runs, and he even talks. Yes, the little man officially speaks the following words:
- This. ("Dis!")
- That. ("Dat!")
- Duck. ("Duck.")
- Hi. ("Hi-ee!")
(Feats that would otherwise be undeserving of this title are amazing when you consider how unaccomplished babies are when they are born. Delicately put, babies are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, and any semblance of intelligence is enough to make you predict Great Things for your offspring. Though probably it's still a bit early to schedule the campus tour of Yale.)
Anyway. Moving on to some non-baby chatter. I wanted to share my newest interest: Shoes.
I've never been and probably never will be one of those women who is obsessed with shoes. (Because then I'd have to give up my jacket obsession, and that's not happening.) Nevertheless, as my wardrobe continues to evolve, I recognize that shoes are necessary accessories to complete my outfits. I cannot wear my slip-on Merrells every day, no matter how comfortable they are. (And they are pretty amazing, considering I've had them for nearly 5 years now.)
I guess that last anecdote illustrates how desperately my shoe collection needs a revamp.
In the past, my shoe buying followed an unfortunate trend. A night or two before an event, I'd realize I had nothing to wear on my feet for the occasion and then dash off to Marshall's, returning home with a pair of shoes that were right in color but wrong, wrong, wrong in comfort. I wasted way too much money and Band-aids.
Now that my feet have graduated to the less readily available size 11 and I have decided to buy only shoes that my feet love, my shoe hunting efforts require more planning. And Nordstrom offers an excellent online shoe collection for those who are willing to delay gratification and shop online.
I will not pretend that Nordstrom is as cheap as Marshalls because it is not. However (spoiler alert: I can justify anything), I'd rather buy one pair of shoes that I love and will wear all the time than four pairs of shoes that will gather dust because they are so uncomfortable and eventually end up at the Salvation Army, where they have the potential to injure so many more feet than my own.
My goal in developing my shoe collection is to eliminate the night-before-an-event-shopping-emergency. If I have a diverse enough shoe collection, I will always have an appropriate pair to wear with an outfit. I am slowly building up this shoe collection.
So far, I have bought two pairs of shoes and one pair of sandals from Nordstrom, and I love them all. With the last two pairs, I stepped up my game and purchased footwear that was made in Europe, not China. I'm not anti-China, but I wanted to determine whether shoes made in Spain or Italy are significantly better than those made elsewhere.
Based on my limited, two-shoe sampling, I have to say that yes, shoes made in Europe feel nicer in my hands and on my feet. I still got blisters from one pair (the other pair I haven't worn enough to know), so they're not perfect, but perhaps I should have taken them for a more conservative stroll for their first showing.
In general, you can expect to pay a premium for shoes that are made in Europe, but on the other hand, they are made with superior materials, and with proper care, they should last longer than other shoes.
Now I need to learn how to take care of my shoes. And perhaps find a cobbler.
Monday, April 9, 2012
No vigilante justice
Yesterday morning, I received an email from my bank, alerting me to unusual activity on my card. I have received similar messages in error in the past, so I wasn't concerned. Nevertheless, I logged on to my account immediately to see which of my recent transactions had raised an alert.
Perhaps it was the $340 I spent at Cosmetic Mall? Maybe the $322 I spent at Donna Karan? The $293 I spent at Astonishing Skin?
Oh, wait. I didn't make purchases from any of these companies. But someone who used my card number did!
I called my bank, and they were great. (Shocking, I know). They canceled my card to prevent other transactions from going through, and they told me that I'm NOT responsible for any of the charges, even though the card is a debit card. They also gave me a phone number to call in case the charges are finalized and I need help getting refunds.
Today I received phone calls from 3 of the merchants. One rightfully suspected foul play ("Most people don't send 10 perfumes to an address other than their billing address"), and another notified me that my card had been declined. Donna Karan did not call, but I called them and let them know that the order was not legit and that they should cancel it.
And all the merchants were great, too. I suspect that most companies would prefer to find out that they won't get paid before they ship an order. And interestingly, several merchants offered me the name and address of the person who was to receive the packages in case I wanted to take action.
I declined. Vigilante justice isn't my style. And despite how well my bank has performed in this situation, I suspect that they wouldn't take any action against the perpetrator of the fraud.
But whoever did it was clever. She (assumption, based on the stores) placed the orders around 2 or 3 AM on Sunday morning. And not just any Sunday, Easter Sunday, a day when people might be less likely to be checking email and certainly less likely to be checking their bank accounts.
Luckily for me, I checked my mail early in the morning and was able to cancel my card before many transactions went through. That said, the funds for all the transactions are on hold until the cancellations get processed. Bummer.
I have to wait 7-10 business days for a new card and then remember all the merchants who had the number for my old card. But otherwise, this whole experience has been only a minor hassle.
You might be wondering how my card got compromised. I have no idea. Speculation feels wrong and finger-pointy, so I will do my best not to mind-convict anyone with whom I have conducted business recently.
Perhaps it was the $340 I spent at Cosmetic Mall? Maybe the $322 I spent at Donna Karan? The $293 I spent at Astonishing Skin?
Oh, wait. I didn't make purchases from any of these companies. But someone who used my card number did!
I called my bank, and they were great. (Shocking, I know). They canceled my card to prevent other transactions from going through, and they told me that I'm NOT responsible for any of the charges, even though the card is a debit card. They also gave me a phone number to call in case the charges are finalized and I need help getting refunds.
Today I received phone calls from 3 of the merchants. One rightfully suspected foul play ("Most people don't send 10 perfumes to an address other than their billing address"), and another notified me that my card had been declined. Donna Karan did not call, but I called them and let them know that the order was not legit and that they should cancel it.
And all the merchants were great, too. I suspect that most companies would prefer to find out that they won't get paid before they ship an order. And interestingly, several merchants offered me the name and address of the person who was to receive the packages in case I wanted to take action.
I declined. Vigilante justice isn't my style. And despite how well my bank has performed in this situation, I suspect that they wouldn't take any action against the perpetrator of the fraud.
But whoever did it was clever. She (assumption, based on the stores) placed the orders around 2 or 3 AM on Sunday morning. And not just any Sunday, Easter Sunday, a day when people might be less likely to be checking email and certainly less likely to be checking their bank accounts.
Luckily for me, I checked my mail early in the morning and was able to cancel my card before many transactions went through. That said, the funds for all the transactions are on hold until the cancellations get processed. Bummer.
I have to wait 7-10 business days for a new card and then remember all the merchants who had the number for my old card. But otherwise, this whole experience has been only a minor hassle.
You might be wondering how my card got compromised. I have no idea. Speculation feels wrong and finger-pointy, so I will do my best not to mind-convict anyone with whom I have conducted business recently.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Pumped breast milk vs. formula
The metaphorical breastpump bonfire occurred over three weeks ago. It was glorious.
A physical bonfire did not occur. I think it's against condo rules. Plus, despite the recent damage I did at the local mall (Nordstrom, I'm looking at you), I am too frugal to destroy a working appliance, even one I loathe.
But I am finished, and I am loving life without pumping. My happiness is up; my stress is down. I no longer feel constrained by the choices that I have made, and I am much more able to feel grateful for what I have. My whole outlook on life is rosier.
E drinks formula full time, and now that I have experience with both pumped breast milk and formula, I thought I'd offer a comparison of the two.
Time cost
When contrasting pumped breast milk and formula, we must consider two costs: time and money.
The time cost of pumped breast milk is high. If you pump exclusively, you spend 2-3 hours of every day pumping. You probably have 3-6 pumping sessions per day. At the beginning (and sometimes throughout your pumping experience), at least one of those sessions has to be in the middle of the night.
The time cost of formula is minimal. You need less than 5 minutes to make a bottle. If you have 2 hands free, you can shake 2 bottles at once.
Financial cost
The financial cost of pumped breast milk is low, at least after you acquire your pump and pumping gear. However, ongoing costs include nursing pads and bags for storing breast milk. The overall investment can be significant.
However, over time, the cost of formula is much higher. We go through a canister every 5-7 days, plus E's school goes through a cannister every 2-3 weeks. Each canister is around $20. My estimates indicate that our formula costs for 2 months of part-time use and 2 months of full-time use will be around $500. Not cheap.
Another factor to consider - the waste factor. A baby has one hour to finish a formula bottle, and then you have to dump it out. The waste can be significant. We were a bit more loosey-goosey about returning breast milk bottles to the fridge, at least after E got older (around 2 months or so).
Ease of use
Formula wins, hands down, in the ease-of-use category. Formula is sooooo easy. I cannot emphasize the easiness enough, at least in comparison to pumping.
Very little is easy about breast milk except that you always have some in the fridge, so you never have to spend time making a bottle. (That said, you can pre-make formula bottles and keep them up to 24 hours, so a little planning means that you aren't holding a screamer while shake-shake-shaking it up.)
Washing up
I have six sets of pump parts. My routine was to run the dishwasher after 3 pumping sessions. At one point, I was running the dishwasher 3 times per day.
Without the pumping parts, the top rack of the dishwasher is less crowded, and we've even had a few days on which we did not have to run the dishwasher. (Gasp.)
That said, the bottle and now sippy cup parts take up a fair amount of space, so we still have 2 baskets on the top rack. (Though this arrangement is still much better than 3 baskets.)
The time I spend emptying the dishwasher is reduced, and the counter space devoted to drying parts is also smaller now that we're using formula.
Health benefits
Formula is adequate nutrition. Most babies thrive, no matter what they drink.
However, breast milk offers extra benefits, including an immunity boost (allegedly - E's constantly running nose begs to differ).
The benefits to me were also worthy of note. I lost all my pregancy weight and regained my pre-pregnancy shape without making any effort. I even dropped below my pre-pregnancy weight, despite all that I ate. (And I ate a lot. Ice cream and pastrami, I miss you.)
I'm not saying this to brag. (Ok, maybe I am, a little.) Instead, I am trying to present at least some benefits to pumping because let's face it, there aren't many for the mom.
Overall preference
Nobody strives for adequacy, and that's why I pumped for 10 months. I wanted to give E the best start I could. Ideally, I should have kept it up for 12 months (or longer, gah) and not given him any formula. But I am satisfied with my efforts, and I am so glad to be finished.
If you're contemplating pumping, good luck to you. As for me, I plan to never do it again.
A physical bonfire did not occur. I think it's against condo rules. Plus, despite the recent damage I did at the local mall (Nordstrom, I'm looking at you), I am too frugal to destroy a working appliance, even one I loathe.
But I am finished, and I am loving life without pumping. My happiness is up; my stress is down. I no longer feel constrained by the choices that I have made, and I am much more able to feel grateful for what I have. My whole outlook on life is rosier.
E drinks formula full time, and now that I have experience with both pumped breast milk and formula, I thought I'd offer a comparison of the two.
Time cost
When contrasting pumped breast milk and formula, we must consider two costs: time and money.
The time cost of pumped breast milk is high. If you pump exclusively, you spend 2-3 hours of every day pumping. You probably have 3-6 pumping sessions per day. At the beginning (and sometimes throughout your pumping experience), at least one of those sessions has to be in the middle of the night.
The time cost of formula is minimal. You need less than 5 minutes to make a bottle. If you have 2 hands free, you can shake 2 bottles at once.
Financial cost
The financial cost of pumped breast milk is low, at least after you acquire your pump and pumping gear. However, ongoing costs include nursing pads and bags for storing breast milk. The overall investment can be significant.
However, over time, the cost of formula is much higher. We go through a canister every 5-7 days, plus E's school goes through a cannister every 2-3 weeks. Each canister is around $20. My estimates indicate that our formula costs for 2 months of part-time use and 2 months of full-time use will be around $500. Not cheap.
Another factor to consider - the waste factor. A baby has one hour to finish a formula bottle, and then you have to dump it out. The waste can be significant. We were a bit more loosey-goosey about returning breast milk bottles to the fridge, at least after E got older (around 2 months or so).
Ease of use
Formula wins, hands down, in the ease-of-use category. Formula is sooooo easy. I cannot emphasize the easiness enough, at least in comparison to pumping.
Very little is easy about breast milk except that you always have some in the fridge, so you never have to spend time making a bottle. (That said, you can pre-make formula bottles and keep them up to 24 hours, so a little planning means that you aren't holding a screamer while shake-shake-shaking it up.)
Washing up
I have six sets of pump parts. My routine was to run the dishwasher after 3 pumping sessions. At one point, I was running the dishwasher 3 times per day.
Without the pumping parts, the top rack of the dishwasher is less crowded, and we've even had a few days on which we did not have to run the dishwasher. (Gasp.)
That said, the bottle and now sippy cup parts take up a fair amount of space, so we still have 2 baskets on the top rack. (Though this arrangement is still much better than 3 baskets.)
The time I spend emptying the dishwasher is reduced, and the counter space devoted to drying parts is also smaller now that we're using formula.
Health benefits
Formula is adequate nutrition. Most babies thrive, no matter what they drink.
However, breast milk offers extra benefits, including an immunity boost (allegedly - E's constantly running nose begs to differ).
The benefits to me were also worthy of note. I lost all my pregancy weight and regained my pre-pregnancy shape without making any effort. I even dropped below my pre-pregnancy weight, despite all that I ate. (And I ate a lot. Ice cream and pastrami, I miss you.)
I'm not saying this to brag. (Ok, maybe I am, a little.) Instead, I am trying to present at least some benefits to pumping because let's face it, there aren't many for the mom.
Overall preference
Nobody strives for adequacy, and that's why I pumped for 10 months. I wanted to give E the best start I could. Ideally, I should have kept it up for 12 months (or longer, gah) and not given him any formula. But I am satisfied with my efforts, and I am so glad to be finished.
If you're contemplating pumping, good luck to you. As for me, I plan to never do it again.
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