First week back

Well, we all survived this first week. Let's start with the good things:

* It's great to be back at work. I have wonderful colleagues, exciting projects and a nice office to spend the day in.

* The daycare is incredibly close. It takes me about 5 minutes to get from my desk to Ellis. It takes Erik about the same time to see her too.

* No pumping needed, since I can run over and feed her.

* Didn't eat out once. Didn't really have any time and we were pretty motivated to bring our lunch so we could spend more time with Ellis.

There were a few negatives to the week though:

* Ellis is still refusing to drink from a bottle. She never had a problem with bottles up until a few weeks ago, but now she's letting us know her preference loud and clear.

* Fussy baby. I am not sure if it's just the transition, the bottle refusal, or the resistance to naps, but Ellis was definitely fussier this week than we have seen before. It broke my heart to see her eyes pink from so much crying.

* Commuting. Not as fun as I thought it would be. When Ellis is old enough to talk, I am sure she'll complain about the crowded L train with the rest of us!

Friday night felt so great though. Knowing we had made it through the week and could fully enjoy our two days off. We are trying to get her to take a bottle again today and I am also trying to track/schedule her feedings to see if the times I am going to the daycare will work with her mealtimes. I am able to get there every 2.5 hours, but she's been fed on demand since she was born and sometimes she likes to eat after 1.5, 2 or even 3 hours. I am really hoping she can transition to this schedule. Then I can avoid pumping, Ellis can avoid bottles, and we can spend lots of quality time together. As long as I can take an additional lunch for myself once a week (or every other week) to see friends or run errands, I'll be a happy camper.

I keep telling myself this was just the first week and we have a lot to learn with every change. The best thing is for our family to be flexible, remain positive and take things one day at a time.