Back to school shopping

No, not the kind where you buy supplies and clothes for the kids. This is the shopping required to make it through the first month back to teaching. The shopping that fills the entirety of my Versa. 

Pretty sure the workers at Costco think I am feeding an army based on my cart. 

This year it is my goal to try to not need to go to the grocery store at all in those exhausting first weeks back. 

Happy belated world breastfeeding week

Yes, I am late to the party on this one. Partially because life is busy but also, I have a hard time with this because I really don't want to put off my friends who don't breastfeed for whatever reasons. Really, I support #feedallthebabies. However, I'm a boob feeder and get all the reasons why we need to celebrate and support moms who wish to breastfeed or pump or a mix of all the options. I also will keep boycotting certain companies who ruin it for many women with false claims and preadatory marketing. 

Breastfeeding was a battle for me and tatertot at times. Bad latch, trouble with coordination, nursing strikes, sore:raw/bleeding nipples Luckily, we had an amazing support network and an angel of a lactation consultant. 

Now we are 17 months in (!!!!) and I am done. I want to stop. Tatertot on the other hand has her own agenda. I thought we were done a few time with nursing strikes at 11 months and last month but it turns out that was just teeth and as soon as they cut, she makes up for lost time.  We will see how long it goes, I go back to work in a week and when daycare time gets longer, she nurses less. 

Happy breastfeeding world!!  

Migraines suck

Let's talk about the absolute nightmare that is a migraine. The all encompassing "headache" that messes with vision, the nausea, the inability to look at the screens that surround us. Migraines make me a bad mom. My beautiful daughter wants to do everything that makes it worse. Touch me, play with noisy light up toys, watch Daniel Tiger, run around. I want to lay down in silence, in the dark. 

Resisting the urge to give in to the migraine and following the part of me that never wants to miss a moment of her childhood. 

I only blog in the summer.

Ok. Not really but it seems like it. This summer is filled with writing he masters thesis and a squirmy worm of a one-year-old. 

Pretty sure my not so much tv approach to parenting is failing as Daniel Tiger makes a daily appearance so I can shower or do laundry. 

Today's daily peace is also brought to me by Grandma. Yep, she is staying with us for a few days to alleviate the daycare costs. Wahoooo!!!

Life hacks- four month old edition

Tater tot is having a tough time with naps lately. Life is just to fun to observe.  Today's afternoon nap success is brought to you by a stretchy wrap and a wubbanub. The morning nap was brought on by a LONG walk to the Starbucks and back. 

Here's to you, fellow teacher moms.

To the women who go back to teaching after baby:

Pumping during your precious plan periods

Thinking of your LO while you see their faces in the children of others

Maintaining your composure with THAT KID even though you were up at 3 and 5 am. 

Crying with the other teacher who was there last year. 

We've got this. We teach because we have all those other kids. That class who gives us those same feelings as our own babies. 

Life savers

It is no secret I love things that save me time and/or money.  I have discovered two things that make being a working mom/grad student a little easier. 

Who likes cutting baby's nails? Anyone? Anyone? 

Yeah didn't think so. That tiny plastic surrounded baby nail trimmer never seems effective and big trimmers won't do. I have discovered that my cuticle trimmer works wonderful. I can see what I am doing and the sideways approach is a little less awkward. 

Bumble and bumble hair powder

This product has saved me so many times. I can skip washing my hair and still look like a professional at work. It is a little pricier than the spray dry shampo but it lasts forever and smells super good. Bonus for summer travel- not an aerosol to worry about on airplanes