Ah, the breast pump. A nursing mom’s best friend and worst enemy. On one hand, it gives us the option to continue breastfeeding when we go back to work, or when baby struggles with his latch, or any of the multitude of reasons that could otherwise prevent a mom from nursing. But on the other hand, it sucks (…see what I did there?). It’s uncomfortable, it’s time consuming, and it downright messes with your mind at times. Between watching the ounces creep along in the collection bottles while simultaneously watching the minutes of your life tick by in solitude, the inner monologue can be confusing, to say the least.

Do you have the next three days off work? Do you have a small child? Do you hate yourself? Then by all means… Hit the road this weekend.

I’m sure you have grand visions for this trip: showing your kid quirky landmarks, playing fun car games, singing songs together as a family… It’ll be downright idyllic!

Well go ahead and set that picture on fire because that’s a better representation of the fresh hell that awaits you on the open road.

A few months ago, a veteran dad pulled me aside to pass on some advice. “Oh, here we go,” I thought. “The ‘new mom’ sign on my forehead must be lit up, just begging for some unsolicited advice.” What I didn’t know was that he was actually about to give me the best advice I’ve gotten yet, and just in the knick of time.

Dear sweet Kitty,

You used to be my baby. My everything. My whole, fluffy, little world. I swore up and down that that would never change, even when I was pregnant. I even remember saying, “I can’t imagine ever loving anything more than this cat… I just love him so much!”

Well, Kitty, I was wrong. I still love you just as much as I always did, but damn, you’re making it difficult. I know, we brought a new little hairless cat (more commonly known as a “baby”) into your home a few months ago, but dude, you’ve gotta get on board with the new world order. Unfortunately, you’re not at the top anymore. I’m sure that’s hard for you to wrap your little head around, but tough shit.

So as it turns out, dinner does not cook itself, and with two working parents and a baby on a strict schedule, time for cooking is virtually nonexistent. Enter: pan-seared salmon. I always keep Costco Atlantic salmon in the freezer, so this is my go-to recipe when I’m on my way home from work and realize I made zero plans for dinner and have exactly 30 minutes to get something thrown together–which happens at least once a week. The husband and baby both love it (is it bougey that my baby eats salmon? I hope so), and it only takes 15 minutes to prep and cook. This recipe is also a one-armed-wonder, in that I’ve managed to make it one-handed while the baby terrorist demanded I hold him.