Phones

Paul has never owned a cell phone. I've had one for about 10 years, but for most of that time I've had one "just for emergencies" that cost less than $10 a month. For the last maybe 3 years we've had a prepaid phone that costs us $8.33 a month, and we barely used it so we had a credit exceeding $100 on it. So we've been using it a lot lately to use up the credit as we planned to get 2 cell phones (family plan) now that Paul is on the road so much driving to PSU 5 days a week. We've decided to go without a landline in our new home. I think that this plan will cost the same per month as what we previously paid for cell, local, and long distance. What really has jacked up our phone bill the most every month is the "local toll" charges for Paul to call his parents. That alone is usually $30 a month as the rate is more expensive than even long distance (which makes no sense to me when they're only 30 minutes away). Since Paul's parents and my parents both have Verizon cell phones, that's what we went with in light of free mobile to mobile minutes. I've often been resistant to cell phones, but with our busy schedules and Paul's long drive, I figure some days that might be our best chance to talk is when Paul is on interstate 80. So even though we're finally joining the "norm" let me say we are not into text messages. Neither of us have ever sent a text message, and I haven't enjoyed receiving the few I've gotten on the old phone since I get charged for them. So we haven't totally come up to speed with the current generation. My college students always think it's so funny when I tell them I've never sent a text message in my life and have no desire to do so. I think typing a message using a regular phone keypad would take me forever for one thing!!

I learned today that while I am teaching I need to unplug the phone in my office as the babysitter got Nadia to sleep and then the phone woke her up and it took her awhile to get her back to sleep. Poor Nadia, Ashley, and all the others who had to listen to her scream for a long time. :-( The phone also woke her up at home this afternoon, but I was able to get her back to sleep more easily than the babysitter (no offense to her!). So phones haven't been a good thing for Nadia today! I put her on her activity gym for some "tummy time" and she conked out instead so I'd say the girl is tired!

She's probably tired because first of all she woke up at 5:50am and was awake until I gave her to the babysitter at 7:45am and it sounds like she only slept about 30 minutes until I came back for her at 10:50am. I stepped in the shower at 5:50 and that's when she woke up. So Paul held her while she screamed until I got out of the shower and got dressed and changed her diaper and then nursed her. It was a zany morning as I was blowdrying with her in the sling, etc. I left earlier than I normally will (7:00am) and found it wasn't a good time to leave as I was behind a school bus most of the way there. Thankfully she didn't cry in the car going or coming back.

It was hard to leave her, and it was even harder to stay away. I was very tempted to go check on her at 8:50 and 9:50. I also got paranoid part way through my 10:00 class that I was leaking. I am not sure why I was worried about it as the only time my shirt has ever gotten stained is during the night while I'm sleeping. Well I was greatly relieved to find out at 10:50 that I had not leaked while teaching, but then ironically while holding her and talking to the babysitter that's when I leaked on one side. So I was frantically trying to get my shirt to dry off before I had anyone show up during my office hours. I need to bring a sweater and leave it in my office so I can cover up any future wet spots. I also need to try to minimize the time between when I start holding her and start nursing her. At least I didn't leak while teaching. That would have been much worse as no one saw my wet spot today. Not surprisingly, Nadia woke up with Ashley put her down (asleep) into the pack n play. Ashley said she had to hold her the whole time. I will work on that at home, but the office is not the place to work on it. I don't want other profs complaining of a screaming baby. I really want this plan to work of Nadia coming to work with me. I am going to see if I can put her to sleep on Wednesday before Ashley comes at 7:50.

I have decided to try to leave as close to 12:30 every day (MWF) as much as possible. I did well today (left at 12:45). I was asked to come to a meeting at 12:15 tomorrow and I turned it down (said I'd be available by phone if they needed my input on anything). I am trying to limit my time at work, and saying "no" doesn't come easily for me so it's taking effort on my part, LOL. She won't be going to school on Tuesdays. Paul will watch her instead. Tomorrow she has her 2 month appt at 2:30 and is supposed to get her shots. She's still very congested so we shall see if she has her shots or not. Maybe she has allergies? Last night she slept from 8:45 to 2:05am which was awesome but then she was up for 2 hours which wasn't fun. Then she slept almost 2 hours until she was up for the day. So I got about 7 hours of sleep which isn't too bad.

Photos: #1 of Nadia with her babysitter, Ashley, #2 in the pack n play in my office, #3 of Nadia in the car seat after we got home - her first day of classes pooped her out, lol, and #4 of the bottom of her socks which say "I love my mommy"