The Smolensky Times: Hot Off the Press: February 2014

February 2014 was another cold month in Minnesota. Cal proved to be a very needy baby and wouldn't sleep anywhere but in my arms for months. I continued my routine of exclusive pumping to be able to breast feed Calvin. This meant getting up in the middle of the night to pump and still get up when Calvin was hungry, or fussy, or otherwise being his needy little self. It also meant getting up extra early to pump before work and then lugging all my equipment to and from work each day. Nights of no sleep took their toll on me and I dragged myself through work the next day and then came home to an obstinate three-year-old who refused to be potty trained. Honestly, things were pretty emotionally challenging during these dark winter months. For some reason I decided it would be a good idea to judge high school speech on the weekends in addition to the regular crazy that my life held. Pumping in a high school bathroom stall is pretty much the worst place in the world to pump! But I enjoy being a part of the hustle and bustle of speech competitions. I like the energy and I feel good giving back to an organization that meant a lot to me during my high school years. It was my "me" time during this challenging winter.

Thankfully, Thomas was a big help and did as much as he could to support me in continuing to breastfeed Calvin and to help me deal with Weston's shenanigans. The months between when I went back to work and into Calvin's first year are a blur for me (thus the lack of blogging!). I did remember to take some pictures and I am grateful for that! While I remember mostly feelings of being exhausted and overwhelmed, I look at the photos and remember the joy as well. Nothing is more satisfying than looking at my peaceful, sleeping children at the end of a long, hard day. They are my greatest accomplishment and greatest satisfaction. The hope I have for their future is enough to pull me through the darkest days.

An eczema flare up. It was about this time that I experimented with removing things from my diet to see if that helped Calvin's eczema. This was short-lived and we ended up getting a prescription steroid cream to help clear up his eczema spots.