I Quit!

(sorry this might get wordy. I warned you!)

So, this is how it all went down...

• We found out that we were expecting Lovely Babe 2 on a Thursday
• We told our families that weekend (at my family's 50th reunion no less!)
• I walked into work on Monday morning to put in my 2 weeks notice. 

We've made the decision that, for our family, I'm going to stay home.

It was the right decision and it was definitely time. The anxiety that I felt about telling my employer that I am pregnant again was enough to drive that message home for me. I didn't post about it at the time because I was to much of a mess, but my job as a female chemist and my first pregnancy DID NOT get along.

During the first pregnancy, I was afraid I was going to lose my job or be forced to work in an environment contaminated with documented reproductive hazards - on large scales. I was forced out of my group because they made claims I wasn't being productive and wasn't working 40 hours a week.  All completely untrue, but what they were claiming could have cost me my job. They didn't want to work around my limitation mandated by a company health assessment. After being forced out of my lab group, they had nowhere to place me because of hazards. They attempted to move me to a different lab without a health assessment, and told me about it the morning that I was supposed to transfer. I finally had to get HR involved and threaten to contact a lawyer. Then, when I came back from maternity leave, no group wanted to work with me because of the terrible rumors about me. I had to fight for my job and reputation while caring for a newborn, breastfeeding/pumping at work and being completely sleep deprived. Pumping at work was a large hurdle, because I would "disappear for large chunks of time" for no reason. And I continued to catch crap about having to leave early to get a sick Firefly from daycare.

I had been passed over for at least 3 promotions, denied raises and bonuses. But there was not much I could do about it because it was a she said/she said situation.

Anyways! that anxiety left me with a feeling of peace about our decision. So I walked in and gave my resignation. Unfortunately, my immediate supervision is a very good friend and I have worked with him for almost 4 years. There were tears his not mine, seriously and hugs and sad faces, for 2 long weeks. And there have been sad face messages since. I do miss our daily half hour coffee breaks every morning, but morning cartoon time more than makes up for it.

So far, quitting has been a wonderful decision for all of us. Now if I could only get a handle on this morning all day sickness...

Add One More

We are so excited.

I am beyond thrilled!

Husband is too.

Firefly has absolutely no idea what's going on, but...

Firefly's going to be a big brother!

We're expecting our second little Lovely Babe the beginning of April!

I'm about 10 weeks along and don't worry, I won't start the pregnancy posts yet.  I'll just say that I was doing really great until I hit 8 weeks and the soul crushing tiredness and morning sickness all day nausea hit. 

We have our first appointment and ultrasound in about a week and a half and I can't wait to see the images and hear the heart beat to make it all seem real.  But, honestly, what I really can't wait for is getting out of this first trimester and being able to look at food before 1pm. 

This is just the first of the HUGE changes happening in our lives right now, but the one that's lead to all the rest. 

Our little Firefly

Little Firefly

Born 30 December 2010

2:48 am

7 lbs 6 oz

A few little facts:

• He has/had huge feet! He was wearing 6-18 month socks when we came home from the hospital.
• He never did have that newborn look. He's just always looked like a little toddler.
• He was alert and able to hold his head up a few hours after he was born.
• He gave us quite a fright with a decelerating heart beat, but he was just trying to escape the heart rate monitor.
• Everyone had to ask for pronunciation as to how to say his name. My dad still can't get it right.
• Epidurals are fan-freakin'-tastic! Seriously. No joking. We went to the hospital only after I reached my pain threshold (all back labor. OUCH) and then after switching to a different hospital! It was my first demand and it was GLORIOUS!
• We left the hospital after less then 36 hours and were home in time to celebrate the new year.

These pictures were taken when he was 4 days old. He is my favorite picture subject ever and he seems to not mind having his picture taken (so far).

Belly Talk: Hiccups

Our little Firefly has been having hiccups, which makes husband laugh and me annoyed. Yesterday during one such round of hiccups:

Me: {getting annoyed}

Husband: {reaches over to shake and poke the belly while he tries to 'scare them out of him' while laughing}

Me: What? Its not funny. Its annoying!

Husband: His bodily functions are just funny.

Me: Yeah only when he's in-utero and they can't make him cry at the top of his lungs.

Husband : {still laughing, apparently set on enjoying it while he can} True...

Hiccups are NOT fun!

4 Miles to Beat Daddy

Tomorrow the entire family will be running in a 4 mile road race. (I wanted to run the half marathon, but that's been put on hold until next year.) It will be Firefly's first race. I will be 26 weeks pregnant. I don't have a chance to finish anywhere close to my energizer bunny Big BIL. But I am determined!

Firefly and I WILL beat Husband.

Husband has been plotting strategies to beat me. He's even gone so far as to actually do some cardio training!

Tomorrow morning its on like donkey kong!

No Touchy!

I am not a touchy-feely type person. I never have been. I hug few people regularly or willingly, including family. The few people I do hug, I hug a lot, but I don't necessarily want to hug them very time I see them.

Being pregnant has made this a large issue. Everyone wants to hug me! and touch me!

I had my first confrontation at a wedding recently. Apparently at 23 weeks pregnant, its obvious that my body is incubating this wonderful little creature.

A not so close 'friend' of my Big Brother decided that she needed to touch my belly AND proceeded to make her husband touch me too. I just stood there frozen, internally screaming "what the hell are you doing???"

I wanted to yell, in the words of my favorite Disney Emperor's words, "NO TOUCHY." But I thought maybe an outburst like that a wedding/reception wouldn't be very appropriate.

The question is, how do you deal with these people and their need to invade your personal space?