Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[divergrrl]

Where''s Delaney??????

 

[divergrrl]

There she is!!!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Delaney is so cute! You finally got a smile pic! I will take all precautions with my clogged milk duct. It is already smaller. He said I should nurse like normal (she empties me better than any pump). Did you get your boppy replacement yet? I feel like I should call them. Sorry to hear things are better with your mom. Family drama is the worst.

 

[Kaleigh]

Diver,
Sorry about your Mom, family drama sucks.

Love the pics of Delaney and Jake, soooooooo cute!!!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Wow Diver...that is some mom you''ve got there. Kudos to you for keeping levelheaded about it all. My blood would boil, even though I would do my best to keep it in check. And your kids are just the cutest!

Jas, yes it is fab to almost reach the 30 week mark. I can''t wait until next week because then it seems almost over!

As for body stuff...yes, it''s hard. Went to doc today and I gained 6 pounds (damn TGuy''s mum''s cooking over xmas!). I try to keep it a pound a week. But then I realize, meh, I''m big, so goes life. I would feel far worse if I were this big with nothing inside the tummy but fat stores, so I''m dealing with it. The unnerving thing is that the worst is to come. I wish I could be better about taking care of my body though...I still have all this cocoa butter unused. No stretch marks as of yet, but I know I am about to go down the home stretch (pun intended.)

MrsS, my doc says one more appointment in 4 weeks, then it''s every 2 weeks after that. I thought it was supposed to be earlier too, but my pregnancy has had no issues, so I am not concerned. I''d be seeing him at 33 weeks, then 35, 37, then probably every week after that.

I did do my GD test before I left for Oz because I would not be here at 26-28 weeks when they recommended it. So I did it at 25 weeks and the results came back fine. All bloodwork looks good, and doc says just take prenatal...my iron levels look great. And to let you gals know, I didn''t find the sweet drink nearly as bad as people made it out to be, but I CHUGGED that thing down. I think it bypassed my tongue!

lili, I signed up for the class given at our hospital. We are cramming it all into one weekend. I''m also going to do some study on my own, I think. Mostly I signed up for the class at the hospital because it was convenient and we''ll get the tour that weekend too.

TTot is just active all the time it seems. I felt hiccups for the first time late last week...they are amusing. And now I can poke around and find him/her, I think. I pressed something last night and it thumped me right back. Made me laugh out loud in bed. Thankfully, TGuy was asleep because he A) hates it when I "torment" the kid, and B) thinks I''m a nutter anyway.

I also found out yesterday that my dad was a horrible father from BIRTH. OK, I love my dad because I respect a lot of what he went through in life to help us all survive, but in no way was he a good father. As it turns out, as my mother was in labor, my dad''s brother came by and took my dad out DRINKING. My father completely missed my birth! My mom joked last night she was scared that he made a break for it. This was the first I had heard of this (we were visiting my dad for his 69th bday) and he was there when she was telling us this. He''s not in the best health and doesn''t talk much, but when she told us this story and teased him by saying "you know it''s true...don''t act like you don''t know what I''m talking about," He had the decency to give us a sheepish grin.

After my brothers birth, which he was there for (he was born in the U.S.), my dad disappeared again. My mom was thinking, "AGAIN?!" only to have my dad come back with a brand new video camera he bought. Hmph. Sure...he gets a son and he disappears to buy a video camera...but for his firstborn daughter, it was Miller time! Sheesh!!

I told TGuy not to get any ideas.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TGal, I think things were different back then. My MIL said when she gave birth to my SIL, FIL left shortly after to go GOLFING!!!! I would have killed him. He never went back to the hospital that night either! My dad brought my mom flowers and took them back b/c he thought one of his patients needed them more! Again, I would have been angry. DH didn''t bring my flowers (well he did buy me roses when she was two weeks old) but he stayed over all 5 nights. Changed most of her diapers and really took care of me. That means the most.

 

[msb700]

driver: the pics are just adorable!! u have a beautiful family

tacori: glad to hear that the bump is getting smaller, hopefully it''ll be gone in no time

to the rest of the mommies-to-be: wishing u all the best in ur various doctors appt and classes

My son turned 9 months today...i still can''t believe how much hes grown!!

proud mommy moment: I put him in his crib while i prepared his clothes to change him for an outing, so i had my back to him breifly at one point in time and when i turned around i found out that he had pulled himself up to a stand and was grinning at me over the railing...my heart swelled with pride!!! he used to be able to pull himself half way but today was the first time he pulled himself up all the way!!!

 

[Jas12]

These less than attentive dad stories seem to be pretty common for our parent''s generation! No push presents from our dads!
Tgal--your mom was one patient/forgiving woman for getting over ''Miller time'' as you put it.

My MIL tells me similar stories about my FIL--he was awful--asked my MIL to hurry up with the labor b/c it was playoff season for hockey and didn''t want to miss the game. He also left moments after the birth of my DH''s brother b/c he wanted to play baseball with his buddies--and he did

How my DH ended up as the most nurturing, sensitive and attentive husbands I know is a mystery to me (his mom is not a warm and fuzzy type person either--so I think he is the genetic freak in his family)

Lili--i didn''t do my GD test yet--have to do that this week. My sister is type 1 diabetic so she tests my blood for ''fun'' regularily and my levels are good-but i know this test is much different--have to down a sugar drink or something? Ick.

Diver--you should frame thoes peekaboo pics of Delaney side-by-side....too cute

 

[Tacori E-ring]

So the bump is gone

but a little hole/crack replaced it

. Seriously BFing on my right side hurts so much it brings tears to my eyes. I can''t wait for it to heal! I just remind myself that it is worth it.

Well, we are going to watch a movie. I can''t believe how many of you are deep into your third trimester. I am so excited for you ladies.

 

[Jas12]

That''s good news Tacori!! Just keep thinking about how healty Tessa is/will be, how good it is for the rest of you body (even though your nipples are screaming) and all the calories you are buring

but Oh, I am so fearing BF right now--esp since it seems like more women have problems than not. I just signed up for the free home-visits from post-partum nurses who can help with BF in the days/weeks after the birth--hoping that will help me get thru it. I have just one red/chapped patch left on one breast (much better than the cracking i was experiencing 2 months ago!)
Forgot to mention to you that Beeswax/olive oil nipple cream is really working (it''s almost like a soft candle wax that you have to work b/w your fingers to soften and then spread on your skin. Lanisol did not work for me--made me itchier b/c it is a furry animal bi-product and not good for ppl allergic to furry animals! So if you are looking to try something else...


.........................................

Q''s for moms: When did you have to take off your rings? Did you just put them away till after birth, or just wear your wedding band ?
When, if ever, did you start to get stretch marks?
(i just took out my little belly ring b/c it was stretching--so i am thinking I could potentially get them at any point now!)
.............................................

I am still toying with baby names a little : DH and I both like Mira for a girl

(pronounced Meer-ah) but we are afraid that she will get "My-rah" What do you guys think? When you read that name how did you pronounce it in your head?

We are thinking Colin for a boy.
The middle names are meaningful family names: They would be: Mira Katrine and Colin Johnathan

I find Colin doesn''t combine well with a lot of other names--but whatever

 

[mrssalvo]

Jas, my fingers never were swollen so I wore my rings the whole time. i had my first 2 pre pricescope so i even wore them during L&D...lol. I come from a family that just wears wedding rings 24/7, so that''s what I did. Some gals by cheapo rings to wear during the 3rd trimester though, or get a plain band that fits.


love the names your consider too...very cute.

 

[jcrow]

jas- a couple of friends when at their finall stages of pregancy put their wedding band on a chain and wore it around their neck a-la-sarah jessica parker.

also, wanted to mention to you that i LOVE colin as a name. absolutely love it. it''s on our list. colin matthew sounds nice. to bad matthew is an ex and don''t think we''d want to have that as a middle name

to be honest, when i read mira i saw myrah. but i suck at pronunciation.

 

[Jas12]

Jcrow--i was thinking about the SJP--chain option as well

--so far, no swelling, but if it happens in the next 10 weeks i''ll probably do that.
Thanks for the name feedback--i am crummy at pronunciation as well--and i am sure there are many of us. I really like the name but would hate for her to have to constantly correct ppl. Since childhood I have always loved girls names that end in an "ah" sound--but dislike how trendy it is now....so many Emma’s, Mia, Hannah, Ava, Sophia, Olivia etc. etc. (however I do like all these names

MsS. I guess it isn''t inevitable that rings will come off, that''s encouraging!--I wear my rings 24/7 as well--I am afraid if i take them off they will get lost. I think Michael B. would cringe if he saw me lifting weights with his finely crafted pave bands on hand, but I figure I paid enough for these things, I don''t want to take them on and off every day at the gym.

 

[curlygirl]

Diver, Delaney is just precious!!! What a cutie pie--great smile too!!!

Jas12, I think I was able to wear my rings right up until the end! I always take mine off at night so I went to the hospital with no jewelry at all. I only had problems after giving birth. I guess I was retaining some water so it definitely took a while before I could wear my rings again--I would say maybe 2 months or so...

Mrs Mitchell, I just wanted to comment on your question on the baby names thread without hijacking that thread. I kept my last name when I got married--I'm very attached to it and couldn't imagine changing it at 35 years old. Plus, there are no boys in my family to carry it on. Anyway, when it came time to naming Lily, I was pretty confused about the whole thing. Honestly, I wanted her to just take my last name because DH has had absolutely NO contact with his father for 30 years so why should my daughter carry on his last name?! But I knew that was slightly irrational.

So as a compromise for me, her full name is Lily Marian My Last Name His Last Name! Totally long and not hyphenated. When we filled out her birth certificate form, we listed her middle name as Marian My Last Name. So for day to day use, I figure she would just be Lily Marian His Last Name but for legal purposes, she'll have both of our names! I feel like nobody really uses middle names on a daily basis anyway so it's not a big deal. But it certainly does look long on her Social Security card and passport! I don't care if she hates me for it one day. I had to get my name in there somehow!!!!!

 

[ellaila]

Jas, my rings stopped fitting at around 30 weeks I think. I went and got a plain WG band to wear on my finger (I just didn''t like being ringless) and wore my wedding band on a chain around my neck. My poor ER just went into a box though. I just started to wear both me ER and WB last week, and it makes me so happy to have them back on! Right now, I''ve got ER, WB, and WG band all stacked on one finger, since it''s a symbol of my life in the past 20 months -- got engaged, got married, got pregnant/had babies! I like Diver''s idea of getting the WG band engraved and giving it to Katelyn one day, but on the other hand I feel like that sort of gyps Gabriel, so I may not do anything with it just yet.

As for stretch marks, mine weren''t visible until about 32 weeks or so, but then once I had the babies and my belly went down some, HOLY CRAP, I couldn''t believe how many I actually had on my belly!!! I swear that I got even MORE on my sides after I had the babies -- how does that happen?! But keep in mind that I put on 55+ lbs. and it was ALL in my belly so my poor skin really streeeeetched more than yours will, I''m sure!

And I love both names that you''re considering! I admit that I first read it as My-rah pronounciation, but looking at it again, I have no idea why. And Colin was a name that I had suggested to hubby too.

Diver, ohhhhh Delaney is just a little lovebug! I agree that those peekaboo shots need (NEED!) to be framed side by side. Absolutely gorgeous! And parts of your Mom saga ring so true with me. I wouldn''t call my mom toxic, but she is definitely moody, negative, her-centric at times, and just flatout difficult. (That said, she does have her good points too!) I won''t get into all the details but long story short, she came to visit two weeks ago, and after just three days, I kicked her out of my house at 11 pm. Literally, she had to get out of my house. (I didn''t kick her out in the streets, I''m not that heartless -- a friend came and picked her up.) That is NOT the type of person I am, but Q and I just couldn''t stand the negativity she brought to the house for one more second. It was a horrible horrible visit for everyone. My mom has a ton of issues, and like your Mom, she can''t accept that my Dad has remarried and will not allow for the fact that I get along very well with not only my Dad but his wife, who is wonderful to me, my husband, and our children. My mother and I didn''t speak for a week after the visit, but she called last week and we spoke about things and we both apologized for respective roles in what happened -- and now she''s coming back up next week (she lives in FL, I live in MA). I''m not entirely sure how I feel about the visit. Q and I are obviously wary of her coming back up, but on the other hand, she IS my mother and the babies are her grandchildren and she loves us all very much. I can''t write her out of our lives just yet, you know? I feel like the worst happened with the last visit, so hopefully things can only go better ... right? She knows that I mean business now and that if she doesn''t respect us in our house, then she''ll have to leave. It''s so weird that *I* took such a strong stance like that ... with my own mother nonetheless! I guess my own maternal protective instinct just kicked in and I wanted to protect my babies from her negativity.

Anyhow, on a lighter note -- my house stinks like baby fart! It''s not funny really b/c poor Gabe is a gas machine and I''m not sure why. We switched him to a different formula (I''m still BFing and giving formula) that is supposed to be better for gassiness, and we also started using those drops (Mycolin? Something like that), so hopefully that will start working for him. Kid sounds like a machine gun! Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat!!! I hope it''s not from anything I''m eating. I know that dairy is the first culprit, and I have been eating more yogurt and cheese ... hmmm.

 

[TravelingGal]

Yeah...I think times were really different back then....but I am sure there were dads that were excited and supportive in our parents generation as well. Hmph!

Jas, no sign of needing to take off my rings yet for lack of fit. I am hoping that doesn''t change. I won''t wear them to L&D though...I''ve heard you can get pretty swollen. I think if I survived the plane and Australia, my fingers should be OK...

Also, love your choice of names. I pronouced Mira correctly because I had a friend with that name. But I do think most would pronounce it the other way.

Tacori, yay for the bump being gone. Boo for the pain. Man, I fear BFing more than birth from some of these stories! I was at BRU last night with a friend who was helping me register (because I have to clue) and I was holding the bottle in place for her son. Man, he was sucking hard. I said to her, geez...and they suck on your boobs like this? She nodded and said, yup, you can see why I gave up. Eek!

Ella, only 55 lbs for twins? Dang girl, you did well!

I am off to check out a diaper bag today. Hopefully it will be OK and I''ll be able to get a good deal used...

Boy ain''t our preggo/new mom lives fun?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Jas, I took my rings off around 28 weeks or so. My ring size is/was a 4.5, I was wearing a little diamond band I was in a size 6 (usually wear it on my middle finger of my right hand) towards the end. I was really swollen though. I had to buy larger shoes too!

I noticed stretch marks around the same time. Like Ella though I have noticed MORE since I have delivered. Hopefully one day they will have a laser treatment but everyone says they get really light.


I love Colin for a boy. I think Mira is pretty but she will always have to correct people.

TGal & Jas, BFing is very hard but it is worth it. It is very bonding and SO easy. No bottles to clean, no formula to heat, quicker, just all around easier. Tessa does get a formula bottle a few times a week. She is not picky at all! I am lucky! She'll take any food however we give it to her. That is great someone will come to your help for free. I am, well I should say was, pretty modest but after you have a baby you don't really care about who sees your boobs anymore! haha! Take all the help you can. And remember it WILL get easier. She has a strong suck too and it took about 5 weeks before the pain went away. Of course I am still using the shield but it works right! BFing takes a lot of commitment. But you both seem to laugh in the face of pain so you'll be ok!

Ella, I gained 50 lbs with ONE baby so you did awesome. Of course I was preggo 5 weeks longer than you but still. That is great *hangs head in shame*

 

[flutterby]

I kept my wedding band on the whole time but took my e-ring off at around 34 weeks. My ering has sizing bumps in it and it was just uncomfortable. It took a few weeks postpartum for it to go back on again.

I love love love the name colin. our top names were oliver(me), brady(DH) colin, and Ian....He would have been Colin James, although I have an uncle Colin Thomas.

As for stretch marks, i didnt get any. Maybe its because I havent lost all the weight yet. I gained 35 pounds (not including the 10 i gained between getting married and pregnant!) and have 10 left to the pp weight. But my belly is like jello! A good friend also gained 35lbs, and she has lost it all and then some and has a tight tummy again, but lots of stretch marks. i guess we all have to expect some type of change!

I will agree that BFing is hard. I had special circumstances since I had a breast reduction 12 years ago, but I was convinced I would be able to BF...I can, kindof. But it has been a hard road and I have to do ALOT of supplementing and I also take herbal and prescription drugs to help with lactation. Going to the BFing support group really showed me how challenging it can be for a variety of reasons, but it is really worth putting as much into making it work as possible! I cried the first time I had to give him formula, but in the whole scheme of things, it doesnt make me a bad mom....its those sort of emotions that were really difficult!

 

[ellaila]

MsFlutter, what medications are you using? I tried Fenugreek but didn''t think it did anything, and I HATED that maple smell! Ugh, I felt so stinky, my husband kept calling me Aunt Jemima. I plan on talking to my dr. next week about the prescription ones, but I know that one (Reglan?) has links to PPD, so that sort of scares me. I''m not sure if my supply is actually low or not, but the babies never get full from nursing no matter how long they stay on me, which is frustrating (and time-consuming to BF, bottlefeed, and pump all day long). Also, maybe you already heard this, but supposedly oatmeal (and even Honey Bunches of Oats!) boosts your supply as well.

I forgot to mention that we had a dr. appt yesterday, and the babies are doing great! Gabe is a whopping 9 lbs, 7 oz (21 inches), and Katelyn is 7 lbs, 2 oz (20 inches -- she''s our long and lean girl). They are both now on the growth charts for 5-week-old babies, though obviously on the low end of the percentile range! We''re going to start K on Prilosec for possible reflux -- I hope it brings her (and us!) some relief. The poor thing cries through many of her feedings, and it''s really heartbreaking and very frustrating for us all. She arches her back, cries, and sometimes won''t swallow -- it sucks. So I hope hope hope this med works for her. Unfortunately, I guess it could take up to 10 days to really know if it works, but hopefully there''s at least some instant relief even if it''s just slight. Any other Moms here had babies with reflux? If so, what were the symtoms and what worked?

 

[lili]

Wow Ella, your little ones grow so fast in such a short time!!
Can''t wait to see how they much bigger they are right now compared to their new born pix.

And you are so lucky to gain so little with your twins.
I am afraid that I won''t be too far behind you when I''m due.
So far, it looks like I''m gaining more than 1 lb a week.
Don''t know if I can carry all that weight toward the end.
I''m already huffing and puffing going up and down the stairs!

 

[TravelingGal]

Tacori, I will take your word for it!

msflutter, I am hoping to do as well as you re: weight gain. 35 lbs is my mental max goal because I too, gained 10 lbs after my wedding. Ick!

lili, I''m huffing and puffing just climbing into bed (I''m serious), so don''t you worry!

Ella, man your babies are getting big fast! So glad they are doing well...I am just so interested in all the wellbeing of the tots from the moms on this thread.

As for me, mission accomplished on the diaper bag. I got the JuJuBe Packabe (what an awful name). It had all the features that I wanted (bag/backpack) and gets great reviews. Unfortunately not in the pattern I wanted...I just wanted plain black, but I was happy to get the bag for so cheap. Normally it sells for about $130 and in the last day or two when I was looking into this bag I saw it going for about $80 in the used market. I was thinking, what? No way...that''s ridiculous. On a whim I looked at craigslist and a seller had the one below (the pattern isn''t too bad...better than floral plus I like orange and green) for only $40. So I zipped my butt up to Santa Monica today to get it and didn''t even bother negotiating price, since her asking price was more than fair. It''s is mint condition...looks brand new. The gal was totally nice too...said a bit sheepishly that she had 5 diaper bags and really needed to get rid of some. I guess bag fetishes extend beyond handbags for some! That''s the nice thing about living near some affluent areas...lots of moms with lots of nice things they really don''t need!

So I''m glad to get something I wanted for such a good deal...would not have bought it otherwise, being the frugal gal that I am...

 

[flutterby]

Ella, I was taking 12 fenugreek a day...boy did i smell! Now I''m taking a small dose of reglan at bedtime, and two supplements from a company called motherlove. One is more milk plus an the other is goats rue...it helps me enough to get some milk, but I have to supplement at each feeding. Luckily he doesnt have any nipple confusion! I also heard about oatmeal, i was eating the trader joes frozen steel cut oats everyday for awhile, but it got to be a bit much!

TGal, nice job on the diaper bag. I have 3 diaper bags but i only use one of them...I should probably try to sell my mia bossi and my kate spade...but who knows, maybe i''ll use them I never even thought of looking for a diaper bag on craigs list. As for the weight, it sounds better than it looks....promise!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ella, Katelyn is the same size as Tessa was at birth (7.2/20") how funny! They sound like they are doing awesome.

TGal, congrats on getting a diaper bag!

MsF, how did you know Ian wasn''t getting enough? Not gaining weight?

 

[lili]

Ooo, cute diaper bag TGal.
I like the look of it.
It''s not too feminine such that DH wouldn''t feel too girly holding it

 

[flutterby]

Date: 1/11/2008 7:09:45 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring

MsF, how did you know Ian wasn''t getting enough? Not gaining weight?

I had a LC consultant in the hospital that was aware of my surgery, and she kept an eye on me. I had a little colostrum but my i never ''filled up''... Ian dropped below 10% of his body weight by day 3. I went 3 times a week for weigh-feed-weighs, where you weigh them and then feed them to see how much they are getting. I never gave him over a half ounce. I knew that some of my milk ducts were damaged, but I really wanted to BF. It was a really hard time for me, i really felt like my body had failed my baby. Its nice now to be able to give him some, even if it isnt as much as i had hoped!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

MsF, sorry about your BFing problems! I felt so guilty the first time we gave her formula too. Tessa lost a lot of weight in the hospital too. She left at 6lb 8 oz! I think a lot had to do with my difficult recovery. Also she is a spitter and throws up a lot of her food. Last night was bad. She soaked both of us (bad enough where we both had to change clothes). But overall she seems happy and is gaining. Even if she is still in newborn diapers/clothes.

So I had a wonderful moment today. I was at Target''s Pharmacy and the lady behind the counter was asking me about Tessa (age, sex, etc) and said "You look too good to just of had a baby a couple months ago"

What a sweet, lovely woman

I think she really meant it.

When do babies get tears?

 

[qtiekiki]

msflutter - I think it''s really awesome what you are doing to BF your son.

 

[Jas12]

Ella--wow, the twins are getting big! Time is just flying by it seems--more pics pleez

Funny and not so funny about the machine-gun toots. Hopefully relief is on the way.

Tacori--in regards to that random lady comment-- of course she really meant it--no one just compliments strangers for no reason! That''s so great!

Tgal--score on diaper bag! DH got one for xmas. It''s a Roots bag (canadian company) and is super nice/plain--now I just have to find one. I am going to hit up ebay.
Is your bambino keeping you up at night? I can''t get over the amount of activity going on right now. I''ve yelped out loud a couple of times.
I am huffing and puffing too and rolling over in bed is soooo hard for some reason! I''ve resigned myself to the fact that I am indeed getting big and need to be realistic. I had to leave step-class twice to go pee yesterday and thought, okay, maybe i should just go home and sleep, this is a lost cause!
I also had the mental limit of 35 lbs weight gain--but i am around 27 lbs already so um, ya, I am doing the math and it''s not looking promising...ah well

..............

I just applied for cord-blood banking kit--man it''s expensive!--the nurse at my hospital says she only gets around one couple a month (in the whole city) that signs up for it. I can understand why. I am lucky my parents are paying for most of it as a ''gift'' (hopefully a ''gift'' that will never have to be used!)

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks ladies...I am happy to get the bag, even though it''s not my style - but I wanted the all the functionality of this bag. It seriously doesn''t even look used. I was on the jujube site and there is entire forum devoted to their bags with some women...er...a bit enthusiastic over these things. I understand that people have bag obsessions...but own 5 different patterns in this one style of bag? And like I said, they charge crazy prices for these things in used condition. I could probably sell this thing for over double what I paid right now!

Jas, I am mentally doing the math too. I am up 23 and I''m thinking...no way am I going to make this goal, with the fattiest weeks to come! And yes, my bambino is absolutely nuts at night. Pretty much nuts all day too. Maybe it''s trying to wave at your bambino all the way over there in Canada. I yelp out loud pretty often...TGuy doesn''t even notice anymore because it''s a common occurence.

The thing I like about Craigslist over ebay is that you can check it out before you buy. You just have to be careful about meeting at public places and what not.

Tacori, that is a nice compliment indeed for you to get!

 

[pennquaker09]

Okay, I didn''t want to start a new thread because I have a relatively simple issues.Lately I''ve been second guessing my decision to stay at home. To be honest, I think I want it both ways and I know that I can''t have it that way, but the thought is still there. I really love being in the classroom and my fear is that when the time comes for me to go back to work, I''m not going to get a job. In theory, I''ll be 28 when my kids enter school, but even then, I hate the idea of someone else taking and picking my kids up from school. Maybe I''m just putting too much thought into this and getting worried when I have nothing to be worried about.

Also, from a practical standpoint, this masters degree definitely is not cheap. It''s the price of a good car, LOL, and I kind of feel like I wasted my parents money. They don''t care, but I do feel guilty. I was attended college on scholarship and my graduate schooling is being paid for with the college fund my parents set up. I eventually want to get a degree in education policy or educational counseling, but that''s definitely on hold.