Back to work....

Well, it’s my first day back to work! I am sitting here on my lunch break typing this and the day is going well - I was greeted kindly this morning by the rest of the staff - all of them welcoming me back - and I’m back to my old routine here, which is a nice thing. Going back to work is always an adjustment - you kinda’ want to go back to work, just to get out of the house, but at the same time you also feel bad leaving the kids at home, especially the baby. I have been praying that this day will go well for my Mom, who is now watching both Chloe & Maya by herself. I just talked to her a little while ago and Maya has taken the bottle well, so that’s a good thing. I think that’s what has been my main concern about coming back to work… Since Maya is nursing, it is hard to tell how much (how many ounces) she really drinks at each feeding.. so I wasn’t sure how many bottles to have prepared for her today. But it seems we estimated the right amount, so I think we’re gonna’ be okay. And the only other concern I have is Chloe’s behavior… Grandma has surely spoiled her on the days when she baby-sits and now that Grandma has to divide her attention between Chloe AND Maya, Chloe is not really happy about that. Last week I told my Mom she has to yell at her sometimes and not tolerate it when she whines & cries. We’ll see what happens today.

So we took Maya to the Dr. yesterday.. She is now weighing 11 lbs. 8 oz. and she’s doing fine… I told the Dr. about the milk allergy and she said if the change in my diet seems to be helping, to just continue what I’m doing. Great! There isn’t much else to report about - it was a pretty uneventful appointment. But, about the milk allergy.. I just spoke to one of the Priest’s here (where I work) and she is lactose intolerant and she said it happened because of her daughter being allergic to milk when she was a newborn! She stopped taking in dairy products herself, because she was nursing her daughter, and then she said something to this effect.. The enzyme in your body that breaks down the milk is a “use it” or “lose it” enzyme and so when you stop taking in dairy products, this enzyme stops producing, thus making you lactose intolerant! So basically if I continue this route, I can become lactose intolerant myself! AHH!! Why doesn't the Dr. say something about this??? She said, though, there are certain things (dairy products) you can eat that are okay, which will help your body continue to produce this enzyme, to prevent my becoming lactose intolerant. (We’re going to talk more about it later; she was running out the door for lunch when our discussion on this topic started!) I am not sure how much of this rings true for me, though, since I haven't cut the dairy out of my diet COMPLETELY. Since I can't stand the taste & the thickness of the soymilk, I have been mixing it half & half with regular milk. I probably take in a third of the dairy that I used to, so since I've just drastically reduced the amount I take in, it has still helped Maya. So maybe if I continue taking in dairy products in a small amount, I won't become lactose intolerant. I don't know; I need to learn more about this obviously.. (if you have any wisdom to share on this topic, let me know!)

Well, I only get a half hour lunch break, so I better get back to work now… The good news is that you will probably get to read a journal entry from me on Weds. Thurs. and Friday’s now that I’m back to work and have some “me time” on my lunch hour! YEA for that!