Return from New York

We got back last night after nine days in New York. Anneli got to meet her other grandfather, aunt Erika, and uncle Larry. It was a bit stressful with an infant, especially being away from the familiarity of home. It was pretty uneventful until this past Saturday. Ryan's family held a celebration for his mother, which was a nice affair with lots of familiar and new faces. Anneli was the most sought-out baby. There were people I had never met coming up to me and asking to see her. Nevertheless, it was nice to see Ryan's family again, as they were excited about seeing Anneli.

I would not recommend taking an infant on such long road trips. The hardest part of the whole ride was managing the breastmilk. I had to figure out when and where to pump. I did my best to hold off as long as possible before I felt like I would explode. We ran into another issue related to pumping after a few days. The little valves that connect to the flanges tore, and we couldn't buy replacements at Babies R Us. (It doesn't make any sense that individual parts aren't sold in the store.) We ended up buying a new pump because the system looks exactly the same as the one we got at the hospital.

Anneli will be eight weeks old this Thursday. I'm curious to find out how much she weighs now, as she seems to have gained at least 2 pounds since the last doctor's visit. She is noticeably bigger.







I return to work next Monday. (Originally, I was scheduled to return this Thursday, but my mom is in Korea until next week. My cousin will watch Anneli next week if my mom doesn't return by Saturday.) I'm really going to miss being at home with Anneli. As much work as it is, I love being a mom. I don't want to miss all the little things she learns to do. Lately, she has become more aware of her own body, especially her hands. I'm going to experience separation anxiety! :P