Returning to Work After Baby

Returning to work has been a daunting event. I was worried I would be limited in my time I had to pump, sharing the room with another pumping mom, phone calls and meetings, and what my job duties will be. I spent the last week on my 6 week maternity leave worrying about just those things.

For those out there who are worrying about returning to work there are a few things I would suggest that worked for me and other things that I learned by trial and error. The week before returning to work I talked with my husband (who would be the stay at home care giver) and made a plan with what time we would get up, go to bed etc. Now a newborn on a schedule doesn't happen but if you try to make a schedule and just go with the flow it is do able and your little one will adapt. Mine now wants to sleep when we sleep at night (not all night, but it's a start).

My manager is really understanding of the need to feed our little babies, he has a room with a lock for us and we have a little door sign that says "Privacy Please, Pumping in Progress". He also is not worried about how long we take. That has been such a blessing, I've noticed when I have a plugged duct it takes a lot longer to pump.

Other things that have changed which I expected to change were what my day to day job duties would be. I was very protective of my job before I left and was very reluctant to train my fill in on everything. I wanted to keep a few things that only I knew how to do. Well I think the office used my leave of absence as an excuse to give my job duties permanently to another employee. I did retain some, but they just don't fill up all the hours in the day. In exchange I was given more technical work to do (computer maintenance, ATM maintenance and troubleshooting etc). As well as a raise, which made it a bit easier to move forward. That also reminded me that I didn't fail at my job duties before leave, I was being recognized for those things I do well and was being rewarded with work that I love to do that also has advancement.

I prayed about letting go of those things I was protecting at work, letting someone else take care of them and succeed. I prayed to be okay with what ever new job duties came for me when I returned. My maternity leave was pretty typical of most American Mom's in that I returned to work a lot sooner. I took 6 weeks off to be with my baby and then returned to work part time for 6 weeks, then full time after that. Those days at home were very precious to me and each day when I come home from work I get to see those big blue eyes and smiling face. Anya gets so excited to see me when I get home. I warms my heart and makes everything I do and struggle with worth it.

Bottom line, returning to work is scary but it doesn't have to be. Make a plan before you return and do some practice runs with your morning routine. Cherish those moments you have at home, but know that you are providing for your family.

Like father like daughter

So this morning I had to make a phone call early so Paul was watching Anya. After my call I went to check on them and found something absolutely adorable! Hopefully Paul won't be mad that I filmed him while he was asleep!

I love my little family

New Years Resolutions

Last year Paul and I wrote each of our goals for the year down on a strip of paper and put them in a jar. This year we went through and pulled out ones we completed left ones in that are on going and added new ones on a different color paper. Ones we finished include:
1. Quit caffeine - Cassie
2. Get pregnant - both
3. Work more on book - Paul
4. Make a plaid dress - Cassie
5. Make a titanic dress - Cassie
6. Spend more time with Cassie - Paul
7. Buy a car - both

These are just a few we finished, here are new ones we added:
1. Finish book - Paul
2. Have a baby - both
3.Finish Scrapbook - Paul

4. Finish T-Shirt Quilt - Cassie

5. Eat healthier - Both

6. Finish Twilight Princess - Cassie

7. Work a Craft Show - Cassie

8. Fill in gaps on Paul's Family History Tree

We have a lot of goals and things we want to accomplish this year and I feel we did a really good job last year. 

I don't like picking a resolution and giving up on it after a few weeks. Which is why I have never had "loose weight" on my list. Yes it is important to be a healthy weight but what is healthy is different for everyone. All of my doctors tell me my weight it fine and I don't need to worry about it. According to all those charts out there I am overweight by 20+ lbs.  My opinion of those charts is poor at best. 

A resolution is supposed to be a renewal of trying to be a better you. I want to feel accomplished and healthy. So I am actively making choices that fit that criteria. 

"the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose:" - Dictionary

 

Be sure to keep the definition of resolution in mind when making your resolutions. Here we come 2015!

  

Answering Questions

I've commented in other blog posts that I would take the time to explain why I love Zelda, and what makes it important.

The short answer is that the game is well balanced, a grand clean adventure and has extremely strong ties to my family and childhood.

I grew up with 1 sibling, my brother Alex. We did not always get along as children, if ever. It was common for us to be at each others throats, yelling and screaming, picking on each other etc... But when we played Zelda together, everything was calm, we worked together, we solved the puzzles together and Alex did all of the button pushing. I loved watching him man the controls while we talked and worked together.

It was an adventure I could go on with my brother where we were happy together and learned to work as a team. (By the way, this was before the internet was popular and before you could just look up a walk through).  My favorite Zelda game has been and will probably always be The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, because it was my brother and mines' bonding time.

Hehehehe our adventures felt like this sometimes. :D

As I look back I realize our best times together were when we had an adventure to go on, weather it be 2ft of snow in the back yard, an old refrigerator box turned into a fort, climbing a tree, or exploring the desert like Indiana Jones with our parents. Alex and I didn't get along for a long time but when we found common ground it got a lot easier. Now we goof around, we joke, I can get a hug at anytime, we can talk, geek out together and just be happy. I love my brother so very much and would not trade him for anything or anyone else in the whole world. 

Now here is the update on my plant!

I'm thinking of giving it a name... Anna? Winchester? oh! Castiel? He WAS an angel after all. :)

I am up for suggestions!!

Now, for the Kumoricon speal:

Paul and I went up to Vancouver WA with my brother Alex for labor day weekend and spend 3 days geeking out! We spent the first 2 days in costumes, I was Princess Zelda, Paul was Link (on the 2nd day Paul was Spider-Link which is a cross between Black Spider Man and Link), and Alex was Alucard from the anime Helsing. We went to a lot of different panels, our favorites being Random Panel of Doom, Who's Line is it anyway and Anime Improv. This year we introduced Alex to the Anime Murder game and I'm so glad he had so much fun there. The Anime Murder game is where a number of people sit in a large circle, everyone closes their eyes and when they open them a bunch of people are lying in the middle dead. Then a microphone is passed around the circle as everyone tries to figure out who killed them, why and with what. (Everyone is in costume and so people become very creative with how people are killed).

 Here we all are posing, (I don't think I look that great, I was trying to act royal and important. I think I over shot that and went right into tired and constipated... :S )

It was overall a very fun weekend, I can't call it relaxing but I can call it rejuvenating! People don't sleep much at conventions, and if they do sleep, ...oh boy... do they sleep!

Coming up next, adventures in Mental Health and my 100th Etsy customer!!


 

From Pessimism to Optimism

I started my first office job in April of this year and it has been such a blessing, I love working in an office.  This office is really special because everyone cares so much about each other. I have never been in a work environment that was this supportive. This new job has been going so well in fact that I was promoted from the front desk to a spot on the accounting team! I have more responsibilities, more things to keep track of but looking back a year ago at how pessimistic I was... I could of never imagined a job like this.

The saddest thing about my college graduating class was the speech that was given on graduation day and how true it actually was. It was entitled "You might be screwed" by Jefferson Smith.

The majority of young new college grads know this reality, and have worried about this day from the beginning. We go to college with the intent to learn more to be able to score the big jobs. But the truth of the matter is, there just aren't that many big jobs. Because of this most college grads are going to go through really hard financial struggles, depressions, and even doubts about our so called "Brighter Futures".

I recently watched the movie The Internship with my husband that really encompassed these feelings of despair and inadequacy. This is a quote from an article in New Republic magazine about the film.

"But not everything's rosy for the bright young things running around underfoot, either: The idea of full-time employment seems like an unattainable dream. Billy suggests their pessimism might just be a matter of perception. "It's not how we see it," says the perky intern Neha. "It's just the way things are now." 

This quote talks of the pessimistic views young people have on the world and the job market, before we ever enter college. As optimistically as we try to see it the truth still stands, it is just the way things are now. BUT our futures are dependent upon our actions now. If you never give up and keep looking for a way to achieve your goals you will succeed. I believe there are two major stumbling blocks in play here:

1. Struggling economy
2. An instant gratification generation

Most young people, (myself included) were raised in a world where you didn't have to wait for information, or an opportunity to come to you. The internet is both a blessing and a curse for this generation and it is just going to get worse. We don't have to search through the library, ask our elders, or even read the news paper anymore; everything is online.


In this struggling job market I count myself among the lucky ones, who pushed through the hard times, battled depression, and fought with feelings of worthlessness. I had to submit hundreds of applications, drive to dozens of interviews and be rejected by all of them. The job I have now came from a friend who asked me to babysit for a little while while she finished her notice with her job. Long story short she helped me to get where I am today.

In the new work environment I started a little garden at my window and to prove to my husband that I don't kill all plants I've started taking pictures every Friday of my plant's progress.

This is my plant at week one.

This is my plant at week two.

 

Coming next post... Zelda update, and prep for Kumoricon 2013!

Updates ... Shmupdates

I have decided to give purpose to my blog; it shall be the story about my life and the things I have learned. HA it already is! I still love Zelda, I still research for fun, I’m proud of my Bachelor History Thesis and I love my husband, friends and family. I don’t really care if my blog is popular or not, it is a way for me to write and share my thoughts and experiences with those who are willing to read them.

I recently started a new job as an Administrative and Accounting Assistant at Monarch Management. It is the corporate office for over 50 deli’s/restaurants in Oregon and West Virginia. My first month here I couldn’t stop thinking about ‘The Office’ :D I feel like Pam, I AM reception, I have the curved desk with a raised platform desk around the edge. I’m considering a candy dish, but for now I’ll keep the broken UPS bobble head (he’s a conversation starter) People really DO like to hang out at reception, I even have people leaving documents behind, empty envelopes, and paper clips but somehow all my pens are walking away… *sigh*

I am not just a paper pusher, by night I am a crafter and Etsy shop owner!!  Hehe I even have knitting needles that light up so one can knit in the dark. (I have done this, when the room is dark it looks like aliens are coming to abduct Paul and me from our living room). On my Etsy site I have become very popular and know for my ‘Cunning Hat’, it is called this while I am waiting for my contract and tags from Ripple Junction. Upon which time it shall be the ONLY hat on Etsy that is allowed to be called “Jayne Cobb’s Hat inspired by Firefly”.  Right now I’m trying to make extra hats so that I have an inventory, I plan on selling them at Kumoricon this fall.

SPEAKING of which, Paul and I are planning our costumes already, I’m excited to add to my Princess Zelda costume. The biggest addition is the elf ears for both of us. I have had them for a long while now but never had anyway to attach them… Plus I have a lot of new Zelda Props, most of which I made such as the Silver Gauntlets and other a fellow Etsian made CrimsonYura's Little Shop of Awesome.

As you have probably guessed by now I am a workaholic, I gave myself multiple jobs to do and started my own business while also working full time at an office. My life is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. I am so tired all of the time! BUT I could not be happier, helping support my family (Paul, Billy, Cheswick), achieving my dreams and experiencing this adventure called life with my best friend and eternal companion Paul.

Life is a journey, I may have 23 years under my belt but I know it is far from over.

25 Years of Zelda official play through: day 2

My adventure though the first installment of the Legend of Zelda series continues, the first few dungeons were rather easy just kill the enemies, swing at the boss done in a few minutes. With levels 5 and 6 that is not the case, I have died a number of times now and have decided to take the dungeon one room at a time, hiding in door ways at first and carrying red potions with me (red potions are two doses, and restore you to full health).  I have found a number of new gadgets and upgrades, such as the ladder with spans gaps, the magic wand, the recorder, the raft and the power bracelet.

One huge difference between the NES Zelda and more recent Zelda games is that enemies are a lot harder, and you can't avoid as many. Controls such as using your shield are left to not pushing buttons and facing the right direction rather than using multiple buttons to block and swing ones sword.

Most important thing I've learned from playing Zelda so far, is patience and perseverance. It is best to wait patiently at the door rather than go 'guns a blazing' bashing though enemies. Being an older game you seem to be more vulnerable to attacks from multiple enemies.

Isn't that just like life though? It is better to stand back and look at the whole picture and gauge what would be best rather than acting first and letting the consequences follow. In Zelda the consequences mean death and having to re-do whatever you had just finished (aside from unlocking doors and collecting goodies). People could learn a lot from Zelda, if you just stopped and looked at all of the lessons it teaches you.

- patience
- perseverance
- memory skills

So far I've noticed that the monsters and enemies have been in each and everyone of the Zelda games. Some of the familiar creatures I've encountered are like-likes, wiz-robes,  knights, and even Gohma the dungeon boss. (I've included a picture of a like like in both the original Zelda adventure and the Ocarina of Time).

Next on the list, I'm going to answer the very important question of Why Zelda? What does Zelda mean to me and why is it so important?