@Audrey – I spend some of my time doing laundry and cooking/cleaning on weekends (as does my husband) but it really doesn’t take that much time. Here and there 15 minutes on my time log.

True! I think the hard part about it, I suppose is how you value breastfeeding outside of the pure financials. How do you value the health benefits vs. bonding with Dad if bottle feeding (or pump and feed)? Or not sleeping. Especially when it’s something you’ve never done before.
So complicated! I guess I’ll learn soon enough :).

@Lisa – good call to skip the 3-4 hours in a kid-free house with a toddler. It will just feel miserable!

@Jennifer T – congrats on getting those Christmas cards written! We ordered and received ours, but have not gotten to the writing stage yet 🙂

@A – interesting question! I just find it fascinating that various breastfeeding promotion literature touts it as “free.” Um, only if you value the mother’s time at nothing. I have breastfed all my babies and plan to nurse this one too but there is definitely an opportunity cost to turning down travel in, say, March because the round-the-clock pumping sounds like a giant pain.

@Lori C – yep, I hate wasting food and money which means that bulk buying holds limited appeal for me. I have tried sending my husband with a “do not buy” list but on some level…not a fight worth having.

@Linda- I’m with you on this one, which is why I did not go (and told my husband he didn’t need to go! But…he likes it). Actually, in general I’ve been discouraged from making the Costco trips for my family, as I am an under-buyer and I’ll just refuse to pick up giant packages of tortillas and such.