Baby Love!: Time flies...

I can't believe Drew is almost 2 months old! The last 8 weeks have literally been a blur. I always thought that time went fast before the baby came, and now that he's here, I find myself wishing for just a few more hours in each day (mostly because I would like more sleep).

I've been back to work for a little over a week now. For the last week I've been trying to find the time to blog and then the day was over. Once you have a baby, your "me" time is pretty much nonexistent! That's definitely one of the things I took for granted before Drew came into our lives.

Going back to work has been good for me. I only cried once my first day back... right when I walked out the door it hit me that I wasn't going to see my little man for 9 whole hours. I let it out, sucked it up, and put the car in drive. My coworkers are fantastic though... they are so understanding and like a family to me. There are so many new moms that have gone through the same things I'm going through, so it's nice to have friends who have "been there, done that" and that I can lean on if I'm feeling a little down.

I was so excited to see my students too... that's what got me through that first day back on the job. Those of you that have middle school aged children or are familiar with them know that they are not the most "affectionate" age of children. I have never had so many pre-pubescent hugs in my life.... "We missed you SO much, Mrs. Pantuso! We're so glad you're back! That sub was awful!!!"

It's good to be loved and missed! :)

Since I've been back to work, our parents have really stepped up to help out. Bill and I are so blessed that our parents have agreed to come to our house to watch little Drew for us. His parents and my parents switch days and come over in the afternoons when Bill goes to work for a few hours before I get home. Drew has been so good for them... he gets his bottle and naps. All of his grandparents are in love. It's definitely a good situation for all of us. Bill and I couldn't be more appreciative!

Grandpa Pantuso feeding his grandson

I love that Drew's personality is starting to come out. He's more alert lately. It seems that when he looks at you, he is studying your face and trying to remember it. He's very analytical and focused. He has started smiling a lot more and will sometimes smile in response to my smile (and my silly cooing baby talk to him). He has also started his cooing and little baby babble. It's so cute to hear his "voice" and not just crying. He is also starting to be more content when he is by himself. Before, I would put him in his bassinet, bouncer, or swing and he would be content for a little while, but then he would start crying because he wanted to be held. Now, I can put him in his crib with the mobile on or in his swing and he will be happy for up to 30 minutes. Mommy loves this because I can actually empty the dishwasher or do a load of laundry... or put my feet up and do nothing at all!

Happy baby smiling at Mommy (7 weeks old)

We took Drew to the hospital today for his VCUG test on his kidneys. He was a little champ. He did so good and didn't cry until they poked him for the catheter. Basically, they wanted to fill him up with fluid so he would urinate and they could see where the fluid was going and why it is backing up in his kidneys. The good thing is that it is not reflux. We have to wait a week until we meet with the pediatric urologist to find out more, but I'm praying for a good report.

On my way to the hospital!

I've been having problems with my back for the past 4 weeks too, which has really been hindering how much I can do with the baby. Finally, it got to the point where it was agonizing to pick him up and bend over to feed or change him. I had lower back pain on the left side which settled in my hip and shot down my left leg. My calf was all crampy and my left foot was numb. I decided enough was enough and got a referral to a specialist. I found out that it's not a herniated disc, which is good news because that would have meant likely surgery. The doctor told me I have degenerative disc disease, which basically means I've lost some of the padding around my lumbar spinal region, which has caused the nerves to flare up. He said out of the 8 major nerves on my left side, only 3 were functioning correctly and that I had some nerve damage. I'll have to start physical therapy and I'm going in next week for an epidural to help manage the pain. I also have to go get an MRI to make sure there is nothing else the doctor missed. I just can't wait until I'm back to "normal". I don't want anything to interfere with my being a mother to my baby.

Other than that, everything is great! Drew is a happy, healthy 8 week old. He's eating great, sleeping longer stretches, and is just our little angel. I never knew I could love someone so much.