How does she do it?

I'm having some difficulties and wondering if the moms out there can offer me some words of wisdom.

Patrick is 10 1/2 months old, eating full on table food for the past month or so.  With this comes difficulties.  Number one being the time he's hungry in the evening.  I generally get him home from daycare by 5:00 but he's hungry by 5:15 or 5:30.  I rarely am able to get a good dinner cooked in that time, so he eats leftovers or I've been cooking sweet potatoes for him.  Then while he eats, I cook or at least start the meal that Joc and I will eat.  Then when he's done he's ready for his bedtime routine (seriously).  Joc gets home between 5:45 and 6:30.  Patrick's in bed and asleep by 7 every night.  Then Joc and I sit down to eat, or if I did manage to get a meal cooked and ate with Patrick, Joc eats alone.
I see many issues in my situation:  Patrick is getting used to eating by himself, so if I do sit down with him to eat he gets a little fussy that I'm not constantly helping him eat.  (this i think I solve by being consistent in eating with him)  Thoughts on that?  Also.  We aren't eating as a family.  I'm not sure we can wait for Joc every night because she doesn't get out consistently and Patrick is a mess if we were to wait.
I'm not really interested in pushing bedtime back, he almost always lays down and falls right to sleep. And we get him up by 7am so he needs those 12 hours (plus his naps are not always great at daycare so he's usually very ready for bed).

He's also become a bit funny with food.  He does this thing where he clenches his fists, bears down and moans/grunts and gets all read in the face.  I'm not sure what he means by it.... I'm trying to sign language thing but dang it, he's not participating yet and he refuses to tell me what his deal is... (c:  He also likes to take a bit, chew for a moment and spit the food out.  Yet an hour later he's fussy and wants a snack.  He likes fruit and apple sauce... but I need him to like other food!  I try to give him fruit for dessert, and only if he's eaten at least half his meal... so he's not just filling up on the sweet stuff.  Is this a phase?  Do I take him out of the highchair when he's playing and throwing his food to tell him it's not play time when he's in there?  Or let him play with the food?  Do I try different food in the same meal (if he's not liking what I made for him) to make sure he gets enough to eat?  When does the "this is what's for dinner, if you don't eat it then that's your choice" start?  I know it's too early now... but he knows what's happening... he knows if he whines and squeals enough he'll get attention... Am I creating a monster???!!!  I don't want to get in the habit of cooking one meal for me and Joc and something different for the boy.

Also, how often should I be giving him snacks?  I'm trying to start weaning him from the boob... so I'm trying some snacks between meals, replacing the boob... but sometimes I worry I'm giving him too many snacks and that's why he's not eating well at dinner.
What snacks do you give the kids?  (I've got yogury puffs, gerber veggies bit thingies, I cut up cheese, goldfish crackers are a new thing... )
Ba!

Working 4-5 days a week is challenging with a baby...

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Over

I received word today from UDM that I won't be moving forward in the interview process due to the fact that I am not, nor do I have immediate plans to acheive my PhD or DNP in nursing.  (Both considered "terminal" degrees in nursing.)  I was disappointed, but honestly expecting it.  I did interview 2 weeks ago now, did not feel great afterward and was asked twice if I planned on pursuing my doctorate, to which I was very honest (as I was advised to be) about not planning on going down that road in the next 3 years.  So.  There it is.  It's okay though.  I'm okay with it.

Progress

Up early on my day off. Patrick has been waking up at 5 or 530 or 6 the last couple weeks and I struggle with my decision to get up and feed him. This morning I couldn't fall back to sleep. Patrick does though as opposed to if I let him cry it out, he'd cry until 7 when he gets up for daycare. So I prefer to let him get another hour of sleep. But I am not doing him any favors. Ba, it's frustrating for me. What will make him go back to sleeping through the night? I just don't know.

I am in the process of interviewing for the UDM job, it's multiple steps with multiple people. I had a phone interview with a group of Detroit and grand rapids professors, and one interview with the dean of the GR campus but she's in Detroit as well. The search committee is reviewing my stuff and making a decision on my next steps... Then I believe the next step is a 10 minute presentation to the GR professors on campus then a trip to Detroit to interview in person with some people then I meet with the chair of the gr campus about what I would teach. I'm not convinced I'll get the job. I didn't have the greatest interview as they asked me a lot of mission and vision questions that I felt prepared for but as they were coming out of my mouth I felt they were disjointed and not thorough. Ba. I can only hope they consider giving me a shot. I'm still however, torn by my current job and what I would do. The couple profs I've talked to said there is quite a bit of flexibility with a professor but I cannot have 2 full time jobs. And my first year of teaching would be heavy with lecture preparation and test creation. I love love love doing simulation but it's not the main part of my role, even though I wish it were. So even if I went part time I would most likely have to give it up... I might however, try to talk UDM into working simulation into their curriculum and sharing the sim lab. But that might be a long term plan. I also miss my bedside nursing role. Lots of decisions to consider. But ultimately I suppose I need to wait and see if I get this UDM job before planning my next steps. Hoping to be through the process by may...or at least that's what I was told. 9 month contract would start in August...

A break in my week

Hi.
I'm home today from work because Jocelyn is out of town for work and Thursdays are her day with patrick.  So, I'm lucky enough to be home with him instead.
Planning to laugh, clap, wave and babble with him all freakin' day.  And I'm gonna love it!  I find him highly amusing these days.  If you hold up a toy and say, "ball" for example, he'll look at you like, "what?" then I keep saying it and eventually he says, "blah" after I say, "ball".  Before you get all excited that he's speaking, he says "blah" after I say, "duck" "train" "sock"... you get the picture.  But it's fun to hear him trying... His newest accomplishment is waving, it took him weeks of study and observation but finally he raised his meaty little arm last week and waved!  The joy!! (c:  He's also pushing up to his hands and knees... but only for short bursts... as we aren't keen on him crawling just yet.  He already rolls around like a pro, can't imagine when he starts crawling.
p.s. You all know about the Patrick blog, right?  That's why I don't update this blog with Patrick details too often.  If you want videos/pictures, check it out.  (The link is in my list of blogs- Patrick Jude)

A work update: (You're curious, right?)
Honestly, most days I don't like my job.  I like parts of my job but not most of it.  I love the people, the place, the idea of my job, but the actual job- not so much.  I randomly got an email from an old professor (Sister Linda my UDM friends) with a request for a policy from the hospital.  I had recently heard a rumor that the chair of the Grand Rapids UDM program was "asked/told" to step down by the new nursing Dean from the Detroit campus. (ABOUT FREAKIN TIME, right my UDM alumni friends?!).  Since I had such a great (read with sarcasm) interview for a job with UDM post graduate school I had vowed to never work for UDM as long as that person was chair.  SO! This rumor was really great news for me... anyway.  I asked Sister Linda about this rumor and she responded right back with- "Yes, she is stepping down from chair.  You should send me your updated CV and coverletter."  SWEET!!  I then ran into Sister Linda (well she wanted to meet Patrick, so it was sort of planned) at church the next Sunday, where she gave me more good news- another professor was going to another program, closer to her home... opening a med/surg teaching spot.  She said, "The Detroit dean is coming to Grand Rapids Wednesday, it'd be good if you sent me your CV prior to that." So, I did.  And now, I wait.  Sister Linda also said she'd been offered the chair position... what a change from the previous chair...
I'm not sure what I'll do, how I'd do it, what would happen or if I'd leave my job completely.  I miss the bedside dearly, and the team I worked with.  But I want to get back to the classroom too.  I'm hoping and praying something works out for me in the next year.
Fingers crossed.

A voice

My grandfather died this week, and we attended the funeral today in Muskegon.  Not a huge deal to me, unfortunately.  I have some guilt about that but the reality is, we did not forge a close bond with my dad's parents after his death.  In fact, prior to his death, we really only saw his family once or twice a year.  Everyone but us lived and worked in Muskegon while we were up in Cadillac.  We owned the bakery and it wasn't easy to just pick up 4 kids and drive to Muskegon for a weekend to visit, so we didn't.  We always felt a little out of place, awkward, around the Gable's.  Now, it's about 20x as awkward.  My grandmother died in May, now my grandfather.  My aunts and uncles are technically orphaned.  A generation is gone.  It just seems odd to think of it that way.
My grandfather was way into techy crap, he always had a bunch of gadgets, TVs, the newest technology.  If he weren't so sick, I know he'd have a 3D TV just because they are the newest thing.  He took lots and lots of videos when we were kids.  My aunt mentioned to us girls, that she had all of grandpa's videos and some include Brian and my dad.  She said they'd make us a copy so we could have it.  So, I got to thinking, these videos will have my dad and brother talking... I haven't heard my dad or brother speak for 16 and 18 years.  I don't remember what their voices even sound like.  I'm anxious to listen, to see them forever alive in a video from years ago.  I want to call my aunt and say, "get me those tapes damn it!"  This thought never crossed my mind, that there might be a recording of their voices.
Of my grandparents death I am saddened.  They were always loving and caring towards us, opening their doors and welcoming us in.  I remember my grandma's wet kisses and hobbled and hunched walk (from arthritis).  My grandfather always had 2 or 3 TVs on and music playing in the background.  He'd be wearing sweatpants and a wife beater with his leather slippers and his dog at his side.  He had a sense of humor, similar to my dad's and his laugh was hearty.  They were in their 80s, lived a good and full life.  I celebrate their life and hope they rest in peace.