Breastfeeding Weenie

I'm the biggest weenie. I've been home by myself each week since Brian travels for work. Since we only moved here 6 months ago and I've been working from home, I haven't met anyone. Since I have a brand new baby, I don't get out a lot. I was feeling super lonely today so I decided to take Quinn on a walk downtown. She is six weeks and has been fussy in the sling, so I decided to try out the stroller, which she seemed to enjoy. We walked through the park and down the street.

On the way back I decided to stop by the coffee shop and grab a coffee. When I got inside there was another young family in the shop, and they had a little baby. The little boy had baby legs on and was very cute. When the grandfather asked how old Quinn was I told them 6 weeks and asked how old the boy was and he turned out to be two months. So then Quinn started fussing in the stroller so I took her out and the mother complimented me on her diaper cover and asked me what kind it was. Yay! This is another CDing mom, she has a two month old, and is in my small town, I could have a friend! So then Quinn wanted to eat and I froze...I didn't have a nursing top on and I wasn't sure about pulling up my t-shirt to try and feed Quinn since I didn't have a blanket with me. I considered nursing Quinn anyway, but I got too scared. I grabbed a lid for my coffee and headed out, right after I had sat down, and right after the family had talked to me. I must have seemed like the biggest snob! As I was walking home I debated just turning back around, sitting my butt down in the coffee shop and feeding Quinn, and trying to start a conversation with the lady. Instead I continued home feeling like a huge weenie.

Friends

One of the nice things about the holidays is that a lot of the people who have moved away come back home to spend time with their families.  Jess came down from New York for the week and we were able to get a group of people together for dinner, then wine at Anna's new place, and finally a bonfire at Rory and Marty's to celebrate both their engagement, and Bobby's birthday.

Beyond the fantastic time I had last night, I was able to spend some time earlier in the week with Jess and Rebekah.  We have all known each other since high school, and Jess and Rebekah have been best friends since that time.  I have to say that in talking to both Bet and Jess, I was so impressed by their friendship and not only how they supported each other, but how they stood up for each other and how well they understood each other.  

Bet and Jess

I have also had a best friend since high school, Andrea. We met in 9th grade English and have been close ever since. I found myself wondering if she and I understood each other on the level that Bet and Jess seemed to understand each other.  Being friends with someone for so long (Andrea and I have been friends going on 15 years) is interesting. There are so many different things that happen in your life: work, school, family, boyfriends. Andrea and I had such different paths after, and even during, high school. There were many times when we wouldn't see or speak to each other for months on end, not because we didn't get along, but just because we were both busy with our own lives.  I think what makes a friend a true friend is what happens when you need a friend.  Whenever life slowed down enough, or one of us was going through a tough time. the other was always there.  Each time we saw each other again, it didn't matter if we hadn't spoken in 6 days, 6 weeks, or 6 months, it was like there had never been a hiatus.  So I guess we do have that sort of relationship.  I'm really glad that we took the time in our 9th grade English class to get to know each other.

Me and Andrea

An All-In Great Weekend

I had a really great, albeit, contemplative weekend.  The weather has begun to cool off a bit and spending time outside has become much more enjoyable (this is Florida, so the weather cools down here a bit later).

Despite my fabulous weekend, Thursday was a little weird for me.  I have been single now for about 6 months, prior to this I had one other period of my dating life (approx. 12 years total) where I was single for a year.  The first period of being single I was just so massively distraught and down about the way in which my (3 year) relationship ended, that even though I missed companionship, I was not in a place to even think about dating anyone else.  When ending my (2 year) relationship this time around, which is actually the only relationship I've had since the terrible break-up relationship prior to this, things ended rather amicably in a "we're both ready to move on" kind of way.  When I ended the relationship I did want to move on, preferably to something casual and easy where needs could be met and that would be fine, with no other expectations. However, I tend to not be the type of person that forms loose attachments to guys I am only so-so about. I want to feel like someone I am with can be more than someone I am with right now, even if I am not intent on having more in the relationship at the time. I found my few ventures into casual relationships to be disappointing and decided that for the time being I am happy being single, and enjoying life, and not searching for something or someone. My life has settled into a comfortable routine in which I have many non-"relationship"-y relationships, that is, I am finding more time for both friends and family.

Thursday I stayed late to study at the office and then met Andrea out for a free concert downtown after receiving a phone call from her.  I wasn't in the mood to go out, and probably should have heeded this.  All the nights I have gone out despite not really wanting to ended badly, but usually because I drank too much.  I went to meet Andrea at her pseudo-boyfriend's place downtown so we could walk to the concert. I ran into many friends that night, old and new, but all of my interactions with people felt forced and uncomfortable. I guess I just wasn't in a people mood that night.  It also didn't help that the people I was with were paired off for the evening and I ended up feeling like the odd man out.  I turned down invitations to go for drinks after the concert from each of the old friends that I ran into and simply headed home.

Friday we had a team lunch planned for work, which would pair my old work team with our new senior and manager in a social setting for the first time.  We had been working on the new team for a couple of weeks and the transition had been tough.  To be fair to the new senior and manager, they had a lot to live up to, we all loved our old team and our old senior and manager.   Lunch was good and our manager really made an effort to get to know us outside of a work environment.

We needed to do some planning for a Halloween decorating contest at work so after a long lunch, some of my team members and I headed to the store to pick up some supplies.  It was a nice little break from work, especially considering how busy we are going to be coming into peak period. I am lucky to work with the people I do. Working for a big accounting firm can be stressful and intense and frustrating, but the people you work with are usually great. The camaraderie balances the culture, as do the non-peak periods when we all get to relax, and take long lunches, and plan how to decorate the office. After getting back from lunch, we got very little work done until it was time to go home.

After work some coworkers and I headed out for sushi, and ultimately sake.  We ate some delicious food and then decided to go out for a drink, before deciding to head to C's house to drink in a more relaxed environment.  We ended up picking up some beer and chips and  playing board games until 2 am.

Saturday I had plans to decorate the office and to meet up with Andrea to go to the street market.  I collected some tree branches from my mom's brush pile and picked up Andrea, who was going to help us decorate before we went to the market.  It was pretty interesting getting through security at the building with bundles of brush, but we were able to get in to decorate successfully.

After decorating, which ended up taking longer than anticipated, we headed to get something to eat outside at a great little crepe cafe, and then walk around the little village before doing some shopping.

Andrea got a hat and I got some scarves and then we walked to the Saturday market so I could find some pumpkins to carve.  After shopping I went to pick up Josie and drop Andrea off.  At which time Josie and I decided to carve some of the pumpkins I just got.  We had a great time, but unfortunately my older niece was a little disappointed that she did not get to carve a pumpkin too.  Luckily I bought extra pumpkins.  Looks like that will be another special Aunt Bear day.  [Sidenote: my nieces are obsessed with the Ghost Buster's lately.  Josie was doing the Ghost Buster dance for me while we carved pumpkins and telling me all about Slimer. Then I saw Jewel mentioned Ghost Busters in her 'disappointed' blog above.]

We also prepared another decoration that I was going to include in the office decorations.  Which I've since used to scare a couple of people.  

Taking that guy into work on Monday should be interesting.  

Sunday was another beautiful day.  I rode my bike to my sister's house so we could walk to the Sunday market (Fall is such a great time for outdoor markets in Florida).  We took her three kids and her oldest daughter's best friend with us and they collected seeds on the way for their nature journals. We must have run into a dozen people we know both walking to and walking around the market.  Living in a small neighborhood within a big city definitely has it's advantages.