Law Students

The First Night Out

By Andrea

Last night I went to my first class of the semester, Housing Law and Policy, 5-7. It was only my second trip away from Becca since she was born, and the first time I would miss a feeding, so I was pretty nervous. I was wearing what seemed like fabulous real people clothes - a nice nursing top from the Gap and pre-pregnancy pants (!) - and when I left, Becca was asleep and there were two 4-oz bottles full of breast milk in the fridge. Things should work out.

It felt really, really weird to board the bus and go to school, but I managed. The class was exactly what I hoped - all discussion about policy and what legal advocates should do, with guests every week. The professor knows me well, and the first week's guests were a consumer law attorney, some community organizers...and my boss from this summer, who I'm researching for this semester. Ha!

We quickly got into a rowdy discussion about the subprime lending crisis and its effects on low-income homeowners and tenants, which was super interesting. I missed my baby. I had to remind myself to not adjust my pad or prod my boobs, which I do frequently at home, in front of the class. Also, my left breast was very full of milk, which was a problem. I hadn't made time to pump right before I left, and with the missed feeding, it was now 6 pm and I couldn't quite concentrate because I had a giant, rock-hard boob distracting me.

I did, however, grab a bottle on my way out the door in case emergency measures were necessary, which they now were. My boss was talking, and I figured I knew what she was saying, so I snuck out the back and made for the ladies' room, where I easily squeezed (or "manually expressed," to be fancy) an ounce and a half of milk into a bottle so I'd be able to sit through the rest of class and the ride home.

In this manner, the universe let me know I was no longer a regular student. And how!

Class ended, and I got congratulations from another mom-in-law-school, who said I looked "amazing" and "awake," and a hug from my boss, who said I looked "so cute," and also, was I expressing milk in the middle there? Ahh! I thought no one would notice! I ran out and called Dan, who sounded tired. How did it go?? He informed me that Becca had fussed for the last 2 hours, and also, drank all but an ounce and a half of milk. Uh-oh.

I hurried home (actually jogging from the bus stop), and burst through the door, to find...Becca dead asleep, looking angelic, on Dan's chest.

So that was my first night away. We try again tomorrow.

Full post as published by Peanut Butter Burrito on January 29, 2008 (boomark / email).