It’s been one year since I went back to work from maternity leave.  Going back full-time was rough but I guess it’s painful regardless of how many days per week you have to work.    I gotta say that it hasn’t been easy but it’s been manageable too.

I thought I’d reflect on some things I’ve learned over the past year:

• Getting Kumquat on a schedule a month before going back to work really paid off.
• Pumping milk and storing it ahead of time made it less stressful for me the first week back at work.  I didn’t have to worry as much about how much milk I was expressing during the day.
• The transition back to work was made a little easier with husband and grandma watching Kumquat the first month.
• Finding a reliable nanny that we trusted made a big difference in how productive I was at work.  I didn’t have to worry very much when Mirian started caring for Kumquat.  She also sent photos of her once in a while to keep me posted on their activities and Kumquat started to sleep through the night once she started.
• Pumping once per day at work wasn’t enough.  My milk supply started to dwindle until I increased the pumping to twice per day at work.
• Balancing life and work is hard but it’s worth it in the end.
• I think Kumquat is more social and well-adjusted without me being around all the time.  I’m not sure I would have taken her out and met as many people as she has this past year with Mirian.
• The 2-3 hours between work and Kumquat’s bedtime is so precious.  Skipping Happy Hours is a real bummer but when I get home to my little one, it’s not as bad after all.
• I’ve learned to be creative with how I use my time after work.  For example, I run with the baby in the stroller and the dog on the leash to maintain my health.  We also go to the store together and I make meals for Kumquat after she’s gone to sleep.
• Making baby food is actually pretty fun.  I just wish I had more time.
• Taking daily photos and/or videos has really helped me remember and cherish all the funny, sweet, and hard moments.  Time really does fly by when you’re not paying attention.
• I’ve learned to accept that I’m not going to be the perfect mother and that the house will never be as clean as I want it to be.
• Sleep and time to do nothing is now a luxury.
• I now use some days off to have a day without the baby.  If I’ve gotta pay the nanny, I might as well make the most of it.  I usually just spend the day shopping and getting a pedicure but we’ve also taken a day trip to Napa.
• I miss going out to nice dinners every Wednesday.  One day I will be able to sit down for a tasting menu with wine pairings again.
• We eat dinner much earlier now.
• I realized that I don’t really go outside after 7pm on the weekdays.
• I worry more about bathing my baby than getting to the shower myself.  Don’t worry, I still shower everyday.
• I make decisions at work based on whether or not it will put me at risk for bringing home unnecessary germs.
• Yes, my co-workers were right when they said “it’s different when it’s your own child”.
• Getting to work every morning never gets easier.

Kumquat’s blood test results came back and everything is normal.  Phew, what a relief.  The doctor also said that we won’t need to pump her up with so much iron anymore but to keep up the variety in her diet.

In other news, I’m scheduled for my surgery on Friday, August 23rd.  I’ll have lifting restrictions so I’ve decided to also take 2 weeks of disability.  Luckily, I already had the following scheduled off.  The surgeon also said that although I won’t be able to lift over 25 lbs, I can still run.  So, I guess I’m still on track for the Disneyland 5K a week later!

I originally took the day off to take Kumquat to her check-up and I lucked out to get another appointment for myself the same day. Unfortunately it turned out to be a rougher day than expected.

The first appointment was at 10:30 am for Kumquat’s 15-month check-up.  It was pretty routine except she got two shots and a toe prick that made her scream at the top of her lungs.  By the end of the visit, we learned that she is anemic, has a minor ear infection, and needs to get some blood work done.

We went home after that appointment and she got in a good 2-hour nap.  Then it was time to head out again.  This time we picked up Jes on the way to CPMC for my 2:30 pm consult.  Why, you ask?  Well, last week I had several days of a sharp pain behind my belly button.  I’ve had this pain twice before (once a year ago and another about 2 months ago).  This time seemed worse so I saw a doctor on Friday afternoon.  She said it was an umbilical hernia, which was caused by my pregnancy.  The abdominal wall has a weak spot around the belly button and she could feel a little bit of my intestines poking through.  Gross, huh?

Well, she referred me to this surgeon and after he examined me, he recommended surgery to repair it with some stitches.  It’s not big enough for a mesh patch to be placed but it was enough to warrant surgery because he would rather fix it before I decide to get pregnant again.  Apparently it’s common for women after pregnancy and mine is so small that it doesn’t protrude or anything.  I have a co-worker who had to have the repair while she was pregnant with her second kid, which is not the ideal situation.  Luckily, Jes was there to help me make the decision to have the surgery.  It’s an open surgery under local anesthesia and sedation that should take 45 minutes and I can go home the same day.  However, I’ll have some lifting restrictions (25+ pounds – a.k.a. a 15-month toddler) and it should take 4 weeks to completely heal.  I’m going to be contacted in a couple days to schedule the surgery.  Not sure if I’ll have to take time off work but we’ll have to see if I can get light duty.

The next step was going next door for a pre-op EKG.  It was a quick 5-minute stop and super convenient.

Then we went downstairs to the CPMC Lab for Kumquat’s blood draw.  There was a bit of a wait to register and then all hell broke loose.  This photo was taken while the phlebotomist was just checking for a vein.  In the end it took both of us to hold her down and poor baby had to have 4 vials of blood taken.  By the end, she was all snotty and upset but her G-raff and a big hug from Jes fixed it all.  The doc is hoping to rule out thalassemia and we’re crossing our fingers for a healthy Kumquat.

So there’s our crazy day.  It was definitely NOT a relaxing day off but I’m glad I had the whole day off to get things done.