That time I got laid off on maternity leave…

Nothing like taking a nice two month hiatus from blogging. And let me tell you, these past two months have been something else! We last left off at the end of October. Scott and I had just celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary and I was starting to get nervous about heading back to work in a few weeks.

It’s amazing how God’s plans are different from your own. Just a week later I got a call from my office that they were laying me off. I was on maternity leave!! They can’t do that to me! I had a million questions of “Why?” and “How could you do this to me!”. I was so frustrated and angry and just really really sad. Since I turned 16, I’ve always had a job. So having the rug pulled out from under me was something totally outside of my comfort zone. And to be holding a two month old baby?! Needless to say, there was lots of juggling that was going on. [no babies were harmed in the layoff process!]

After I settled down a little bit, I prayed my butt off. I was completely at a loss. I was just trying to gear myself up for returning to my old job and sending Quinn to daycare … now I was going to be out on the job search, a position I hadn’t been in since college! Terrified wasn’t even the half of it. We had a shiny new baby girl to support! I was feeling an insurmountable pressure to make sure we wouldn’t be left out on the streets. …street life was still a long way off, but my post-pregnancy hormonal mind was going wild!

I’ve always known that God answers prayers in his own time. Which usually means way longer than what you want. Fortunately, just two hours after being laid off I was on the phone with a friend of ours that we met through a Christian retreat called Emmaus. He mentioned that his company had an opening in their marketing department and that I should apply for the job. But there was a catch. I had to get my resume together and apply for the job THAT NIGHT.

So, that evening I had my computer in front of me on the couch, boppy pillow around my waist with Quinn sprawled out half-nursing, half-sleeping while I put together a resume … something I hadn’t done in over 5 years! Yikes.

By 9 p.m. that evening everything was submitted. The next day I received a call from the company’s HR manager to say they’d like to offer me an interview. I also had to complete an online assessment and a profile exam. These tests took some time, so after Quinn went to bed at night and I got myself ready for bed, I’d sit and bust these things out. How you moms out there take college courses while having little kids … I’ll never know. You rock. I couldn’t do that every night!

That Friday was interview day. I was so nervous. I hadn’t been in an interview in YEARS! Plus I was suffering from prolonged sleep deprivation with a side effect of “Mom Brain”. I was just hoping that the lyrics to “Old MacDonald” would go away and I could remember what my name was. I guess the interview went well, because that following Monday they offered me a second interview. I had to take more profile tests and also complete an assignment.

Now is the time I will sing the praises of my husband. He was my biggest cheerleader through all of this. He would take care of Quinn in the evenings so I could have a couple hours to work on everything. Wonderful. I know he was tired too, but he kept lifting me up. Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you!

The second interview was also scheduled for a Friday. At this point everything was laid out there. I had done everything I could and I was at peace with whatever the outcome was going to be. There was such a sense of calm that only God could provide. I was okay with not getting the job. Something else would come my way. We would be okay. This was my mantra … We will be okay.

The bad thing about Friday interviews is that you have to wait the weekend for their decision! Monday rolls around and I get a call … I GOT THE JOB!!!! I’ve never worked so hard to get a job! Scott and I danced a happy dance and Quinn just smiled at her crazy parents.

Two weeks earlier I was having a pity party for myself that I would have to send Quinn to daycare. Now I was dancing in our kitchen that I had a job to go to and Quinn would have to go to daycare. It’s amazing how God reframes our thoughts.

My first day was December 1. A Tuesday. We sent Quinn to daycare that Monday as a trial run. I was miserable. I cried. She cried. I was a hot mess the rest of the day. It was hard to be separated from someone you’ve been connected to (sometimes quite literally!) for 3 months. But we survived.

We’ve now completed 3 weeks of work/daycare and we’re making it. Our nights are a lot shorter since we have a LOT more to do and also try to get to bed at a reasonable hour. And then Quinn got a head cold and would wake up in the middle of the night resulting in me getting less and less sleep. But that’s what the weekends are for!

I definitely miss her during the day. However, my coworkers at my new office are amazing and incredibly supportive! There’s a lot more women and a lot more people my age. There’s a big learning curve with this position, so I’m super busy every day which makes the days melt by, which helps me miss Quinn just a little less. And man oh man, the coming home. I love it! The big smiles and sweet cuddles we get from Quinn are the best. Sometimes she’s a beast, but those coos and smiles make it all worth it.

So, that’s been our world this last month.

The most amazing part of this story is how this has been God’s plan for a long time. This job has been years in the making. And looking back over  these last couple years to see how certain events happened at specific times which then led to certain people being introduced into our lives leaves me with goosebumps all over.

It all started with Scott working part-time at our local church and part-time at my old company. He was then hired full-time at my old company and we worked together for one year. Then, the church decided to make his old job full-time and offered it back to him and he took it. By taking the job at the church and not having to travel, he was able to lead music at the men’s retreat, Emmaus … where he met Greg. Greg is that one that told me about this job. Which I applied for and worked to get!

It may not seem like much, but if you take out any one of those pieces, things would have turned out differently. And each one of those pieces and moving jobs, etc, took a lot of trust and praying!

Also, this new job doesn’t require me to travel! Which means that I won’t be gone from Quinn 2 months out of the year. There are so many things to be thankful for. This year has been one wild adventure. This time last year we didn’t even know we were pregnant yet! Now we have a funny little 4 month old and I have a new job.

And as stressful as this all has been, I wouldn’t change a thing. We did it!

Thank for reading this long slog of a post! The next post will be a Quinn update!

– Allie 🙂

Time is flying!

It’s about time I dusted off the ole blog again. It’s been a while! Quinn is taking up the vast majority of my time and when she’s sleeping I’m either eating, washing pump parts, showering, cleaning, doing laundry, maybe a nap, and last on that list is blogging. It’s exhausting. BUT, this last week we’re starting to get glimpses of what a normal life can look like! Quinn is starting to sleep longer and longer at night, which makes this momma much more rested during the day. It’s amazing what 5 hours of consecutive sleep can do for a person. 🙂

I’d like to give you this huge long list of stuff we’ve been up to the past couple months, but my days run together. A few highlights: Scott turned the big 3-0! We made a trip home to see our families. Quinn started smiling and is becoming a lot more interactive. We also celebrated our five year wedding anniversary! Quinn is officially 2 months old which means I have one month left of maternity leave. Where has the time gone??!

This year for our anniversary taking a trip somewhere was out of the question, so we decided to spend the day picnicking and hiking in Land Between the Lakes. We always like hiking the Honker Trail around Energy Lake and the weather was perfect! We got Panera take-out and headed to LBL. We all ate and then we attempted our yearly “Photo with our Photo”. We got a couple good ones. And Quinn did a great job!

Here is my favorite outtake:

Quinn likes to coo, but when we get close to nap time she starts yell-cooing, or hollering as I like to call it. So, we were laying there trying to get a good shot and Quinn is hollering which is making me laugh and I can’t see because it’s so bright out. We love that little stinker.

After our picnic, Scott wore Quinn in our K’Tan carrier and we hiked a couple miles while she slept.

Once we made it back to the car, it was time for me to breastfeed Quinn. She’s a lazy eater and takes forever, so Scott checked out the wildlife that they have at the Nature Station.

Overall it was a fun day and I’m so happy that the weather was nice so that we could get out of the house! I still can’t believe we’ve been married for five years! Time flies when you’re having fun!

Speaking of fun, here are some photos of the munchkin:

We love her big eyes!

And finally, bath time. This kid loves it.

So, that’s what’s been going on on our side of the street. Looking forward to these next couple of months as we get to see more family over the holidays, getting Quinn baptized and celebrating Christmas.

Allie 🙂

First Month In

“The days are long but the years are short.”

My friend Robin said this to me when I told her how exhausted I was after the first couple of weeks. It’s very true! … Even though we are only just shy of Quinn’s 4-week birthday. We are surviving and are finding our groove slowly but surely!

Our morning routine which starts anywhere from 5:30-7:30 a.m., depending on Quinn’s nursing schedule, begins with a daily devotional called “First 5” from Proverbs 31 ministries. It’s a short devotional, but so very much needed. Especially if it’s been a long night. I need all the grace and Jesus (and coffee!) at that time. I read this aloud to Quinn. Mostly so I stay awake, but also so she knows that it’s morning. I usually try not to talk to her during the nighttime feedings. The less stimulation, the better! We follow this up by the “Matt Maher” station on Pandora. I’ll sing to her in my groggy morning voice, but she loooooves music. It puts us both in a better mood.

After a diaper change and a warm washcloth on her face, we are ready to make mom some breakfast. If Scott is home he’ll make my breakfast for me. If not, I put Quinn in the K’Tan wrap and we make breakfast. Then, it’s time for nap number one of the day. I’ll put Quinn in the Mamaroo while I drink some coffee and do my morning pumping session.

Quinn nurses about every 2.5-3 hours .. or 2 hours if she’s going through a growth spurt. So the routine of eat, change diaper, sleep repeats itself anywhere from 8-9 times throughout the day. During the times she’s asleep I try to do stuff around the house, wash pumping parts, eat (I feel like a teenager! Breastfeeding hunger is no joke!) or just sit and zone out with HGTV and the DIY network. Haha!

At night I will say that she’s been doing a great job. For the past week she’ll go 4-5 hours between feedings. This is amazing! This means that we get about 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Game changer!! However, it’s best if this chunk falls around 9 p.m. … not 6 p.m. like last night.

Overall, Quinn has been a really good baby. She has her moments of fussiness and crying, but that’s a newborn for ya! We are really looking forward to the next couple of weeks when she will start to lock eyes with us, smile, coo, etc. Essentially transition from a newborn to a baby. All that being said, I’m trying not to wish these weeks away! Even though some days are really exhausting, I still try to soak it in.

So, here are nine things that have made this past month waaaaay easier on Scott and I:

1. Boppy Pillow
I use this thing every time I nurse. Lifesaver. Back saver! Scott uses it when Quinn just wants to be held. I also use it for tummy time, or if I’m by myself at the house and need to use the bathroom, I’ll just prop her up in this under a ceiling fan (her favorite!) and I have bought myself 3-5 minutes.

2. Fisher Price Rock n’ Play
Quinn sleeps in this at night and it is awesome!!! I don’t know what it is, but she sleeps so well in this thing. We keep it by our bed and if she wakes herself up in the night be accident, I can reach over and lightly rock her back to sleep for an extra 20 minutes. Love it!

3. Swaddleme Infant Wrap by Garanimals
We lightly swaddle Quinn during the day if she has trouble going to sleep, but at night little Houdini is wrapped nice and snug in one of these! She sleeps so much better when her arms are wrapped nice and tight.

4. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste
We use this at each diaper change. It actually heals diaper rash rather than just creating a barrier between her booty and the diaper. Four weeks in and we haven’t had one hint of a rash.

5. BOB Revolution SE Jogging Stroller
I know jogging strollers aren’t for everyone, but we use this at least once a day. We have the Chicco KeyFit 30 attachment that allows us to snap in her carseat. We go on walks every day (we are up to 2.5 miles!) and sometimes if she’s being fussy we’ll just put her in it and walk around the house with it. Whatever works! I would seriously go stir crazy if it wasn’t for this thing. Especially with the weather being as nice as it is. Super big thanks to my aunts and grandma for this gift!

6. Fluid Knit Wrap Robe by Gilligan O’Malley at Target
This robe is made of a modal fabric and is suuuuuuper soft and stretchy. So comfortable. I wore this while in the hospital and wear it all the time at home. I’ve been using it at during those nighttime feeding sessions when it feels a little cooler in the house. I love it in black too so I don’t have to worry about poop stains when Quinn has an … um … explosion on the changing table.

7. Mamaroo
We actually received this from a lady at our church who’s daughter didn’t need it anymore. It has been amazing!!!! I doubt we would have bought this ourselves since it is so expensive, but it has been a lifesaver. Quinn likes to move. A lot. So rather than walking around the house for hours on end, we can put her in this, crank up the white noise setting and she is out. Definitely has saved my sanity a couple times!!

8. Nursing Tank by Gilligan & O’Malley
I have a few of these nursing tanks and they are great. I especially love this gray henley one since it looks more like a normal top and can be layered underneath a jacket. Only thing that gives it away are the nice milk and spit up spots I have all over it. #classy # momlife

9. Baby Relax Mikayla Glider from Wayfair
We received this as a gift from Scott’s grandma and we use it SOO much! First of all, it’s super comfortable. It swivels, rocks, reclines, has great back support, you name it. I sit in this chair to nurse and it is wonderful. Scott will use this at night in case Quinn won’t sleep. He’s 6’2″ and it’s not too small for him to sleep in. We have it in the mocha color and so far it cleans and hides stains really well. I also love that it doesn’t scream “nursery chair” and we can use it in other rooms of the house when I’m not nursing her anymore.

So that’s what we’ve been up to the last few weeks. I’ll try to include more photos of Quinn and update you on all the fun stuff we’ve been doing with her. She’s getting so big already! We weighed her at home today and she’s at 9.5 lbs! She’s also starting to get neck and legs rolls. Holla chunky monkey!

Allie