Has it really been a week?

 Has it really been a week since I last blogged? Oh, dear.

Well, a week into work and I still wish I was home. I miss my baby SO much! I have to keep telling myself that if I didn't work, we would be completely broke and in debt. Everyone keeps asking why I can't just stay at home. Yes, my husband is an attorney, but with that comes the student loans (if some people knew the dollar amount they would be shocked). Unlike some law school graduates, he actually pays his loans! We basically have two mortgages. But, Josh is doing the type of law he loves: criminal defense. And I am so proud of him! He doesn't make a million dollars a year like people seem to think he does (gee, I wish he made a fraction of that!). Therefore, I must work. If I stopped working and we stopped putting Caroline in daycare, we would still be losing over $25,000 per year. We can't exactly afford to lose that much money; I don't know many people who could. This is what gets me through each day at work. I'm doing what is best for my baby and my family. I just miss her snuggles oh so much :) Maybe one day I will be able to stay at home with her, but it's not a smart option at the moment

I have visited her at daycare during my lunch breaks a few days. More often than not I have to wake her up from a nap when I visit, which makes me feel terrible. I visited on Monday and she was napping, so I opted to not wake her up. I just watched her sleep for a minute, and then left. Yes, I am such a creeper!! Because I feel awkward when I visit during lunch and feel like I am actually just disrupting her day, I have been keeping busy during lunch by going to Barnes and Noble or walking around the mall. I am even trying to go to the grocery store during my lunch breaks so I don't have to drag her to the grocery store after work. This seems to work really well, as it gives us more quality time together at home! I think I am figuring out what works best for us, and that might mean no lunchtime visits.

I do pump at work, which actually helps break up my work day. Some mornings I pump when I get in, I usually pump at 10am, pump at 12pm, pump at 3pm, and then nurse her when we get home. The 10am pumping makes me realize, "yay! Only an hour and a half left until lunch!" The 12pm pumping makes me realize, "yay! The morning is over; onto the afternoon!" The 3pm pumping makes me realize, "yay! Only two more hours until I get to see my sweetheart!" It truly helps me break up my day, even though it is a bit awkward. I did have an encounter where the male attorney I work for knocked on my office door while I was pumping. Thank goodness my door has a lock!! Yeah, that was awkward. And I hate pumping because it is depressing how little milk it produces (less than 2oz per session; so sad). I have to send Caroline to daycare with formula only, because I could never pump enough to get her through a day (piglet eats 6oz every 2-3 hours!!). Oh, well! At least she gets the "good stuff" (as Joshua calls it) at home! Some breastmilk is better than none :)

Anywho, so that's how work is going. Now onto how Caroline is doing...

She is great!!!! She smiles so much now. She talks all the time. She can lift things with her hands and loves feeling different textures. She tracks us with her eyes as we walk around rooms, and turns her head to find us when we speak. She's finally aware of the pets' existence and is so intrigued. She spends her car rides telling Eeyore all about her day (he rides in the back with her, and all I can here is her talking to him and messing with his ears). She still hates tummy time, but a little less than a few weeks ago. She loves sitting in our laps and practicing sitting on her own (we hold her hands and pull her up; she loves it). She loves, loves, loves standing up (with our help, of course). She is such a little sweetheart; I am sort of in love!

Check out my Instagram for some adorable pictures!!

Things I am looking forward to:

- St. Patrick's Day: I get to enjoy a brewsky and it marks one year since I found out I was pregnant! I get to dress my little Irish girl in green.
- Easter: I am so excited I have already bought most of her Easter basket goodies! AND she can see the Easter Bunny this year! She was too tiny to see Santa before Christmas.

- BEACH: Me and Caroline (and hopefully Josh *fingers crossed*) will be traveling to Hilton Head, SC to see my parents and sister. CANNOT WAIT!!!

Love and miss you all!