Watch out -- (Learning) Curve Ahead!

It was a wise decision to start Peach in daycare a few days before my return to work. I am determined to get my act together by then. This Friday, that is.

Yesterday's exit from the house was a little frazzled. But I managed to remember all the bags, bedding, bottles, pump, and so forth. Couldn't locate Beernut's lunchbox so I sent him with his old "Thomas the Tank Engine" lunch bag. PC mentioned that was a social gaffe so I made a mental note to replace the lunch box ASAP. I was a little dismayed to find that not only was our favourite teacher sick for the day (and out for the week) but that our least favourite teacher is going to be in the Infant-Toddler Center for another week or so until she is moved to another classroom. But I managed to overlook that minor annoyance and go about my day.

A friend of mine had offered to take me out and do anything I wanted in order to get my mind off of the baby. I decided that a long-leisurely lunch at the Cheesecake Factory was just the thing. I had it all planned out; run a few errands (such as picking up the replacement lunch box for Beernut), pump, and then meet up with my friend. And it was all going according to plan...until...

I realized that although I had remembered to bring the pump, the tubing, the vehicle lighter adapter, the ice packs, and the collection bottles, I somehow managed to forget the breastshields which are necessary for actually collecting the milk.

{AAARRRRRGH!!!}

A choice to make -- cancel my lunch in order to return home and pump OR cancel pumping for the day and feed Peach at pick-up. I really think that if this had happened with my first baby, I would have totally freaked out! As the experienced mom that I am, I calmly decided that going a few hours without pumping would be OK. Going home and seeing the empty crib and all the lonesome baby items would not have been OK.

It was a very good decision. Spending time with a friend is a truly underrated necessity that should be a regularity rather than a luxury. I was reminded how calming it can be to visit with a friend.

I was acutely aware, of course, of my ever-enlarging breast which continues to grow heavy with milk throughout the course of our (wonderful) meal.

And it goes without saying that Peach had finished a bottle about five minutes before my arrival...

So we learn from our missteps, right?

Today I was extremely careful to check and recheck the pump. And I felt pretty good about that too.

Of course, in the midst of all that diligence, I forgot to drop off Beernut's medication in the camp office and had to double-back.

But hey, tomorrow's another day.