On Sunday, June 27, I noticed Autumn's FIRST TOOTH had popped through. HOORAY!
I also took notice that it was on the upper right gums...waaaaaaaaaaaaay in the back. A MOLAR.
Pardon my language here but....F&@#!
I have generic tylenol, but since I hate the idea of keeping her drugged all day for just a toothache I went out and bought homeopathic teething tablets & drops - all natural and no major side effects. Sunday night's sleep went...unwell, let's just say.
I'm hoping tonight goes better!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thankful Thursday
This Thursday I have a ton to be thankful for:o)
~Vacations. Nuff said!
~My best friend. Without her I'd probably be very lost in this world<3
~My best friend's family. They have always and will forever be my "home away from home." They love me and care for me as if I've always been their own and they truly are a blessing in my life. I am thankful for their hospitality this week (food, shelter, and hot tub!) and the joy they feel just for having us here. I do love them so much!
~My loving husband who, despite missing me and his little girl, understands the importance for me to just get away for a few days and relax. I'm sorry he couldn't make this trip with us, but I'm so proud of him for working so hard this week in this unbelievable weather to help support us.
~Days when my child seems to adore sleep.
~Double stuffed oreo cookies, doritos, and hot dogs with cheese;o)
I'm a happy girl this Thursday!
~Vacations. Nuff said!
~My best friend. Without her I'd probably be very lost in this world<3
~My best friend's family. They have always and will forever be my "home away from home." They love me and care for me as if I've always been their own and they truly are a blessing in my life. I am thankful for their hospitality this week (food, shelter, and hot tub!) and the joy they feel just for having us here. I do love them so much!
~My loving husband who, despite missing me and his little girl, understands the importance for me to just get away for a few days and relax. I'm sorry he couldn't make this trip with us, but I'm so proud of him for working so hard this week in this unbelievable weather to help support us.
~Days when my child seems to adore sleep.
~Double stuffed oreo cookies, doritos, and hot dogs with cheese;o)
I'm a happy girl this Thursday!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
A random breastfeeding discussion...
***Disclaimer - I do not care if you breastfeed, pump & bottle feed, formula feed, gave natural birth, gladly accepted the needle-in-the-back, begged your doc for a c-section, cloth diaper, use sposies, etc. I do not believe that I am better than anyone else for choosing the paths that I've taken. I AM; however, an advocate for women & families choosing to make educuated decisions that fit their lifestyles the best. Whatever is best for you will be best for your baby and that is the ultimate goal = HAPPY FAMILIES!
So...moving on...
I was breastfeeding Autumn tonight before bed and I began to think about how wonderfully lucky I am that our breastfeeding journey has gone so well. Have I mentioned this before? I know I have! And it's not bragging - it's me NOT taking for granted just how lucky we are. Because there are women who struggle. I've read their posts. I've talked to them in person. I've seen it first hand sitting right next to my best friend. If you were to sak me if breastfeeding was easy, my answer would be ABSOLUTELY NOT. Not because my experience has been hard, but because it can be hard and no matter what, it takes a lot of time and effort regardless of if you have problems.
Sometimes I feel guilt for having no troubles. Tonight I pondered this thought. Why did/do I not have problems? Really...why? The main problems I hear about are usually latching, supply, and thrush. I didn't have any of these. Why, why, why? And then the thought of my natural birth came into my head. Did that have anything to do with it?
I'm not a researcher. I'm not a doctor. And I've hardly talked to enough women to find out. But it's a question that makes me curious. Perhaps they've already done this research (and if there is a study out there about this...please send it to me...I'm very curious). But if they haven't done this study, wouldn't it be nice to know if a natural birth vs. birth that called for medications had anything to do with it?
The variables would be numerous - which medications were used, the dosages given, perhaps the type of birth (vaginal vs. c/s), etc. But overall, my questions is, does medication have a lasting effect on breastfeeding? Do meds disrupt something that makes it harder for a child to latch on? Do meds do something to horomones that would make it harder for milk to come in when its supposed to, resulting in a low supply and discouraging women from waiting it out? Is it possible meds could completely take away a woman's milk supply? Can meds make a woman's body more likely to have thrush?
Or maybe it's just chance. It's just a completely natural thing.
Or maybe it's a little bit of both.
I don't know. And that's that. I DO NOT KNOW. I'm not assuming anything. I'm not saying these are side effects. I'm just curious.
So...moving on...
I was breastfeeding Autumn tonight before bed and I began to think about how wonderfully lucky I am that our breastfeeding journey has gone so well. Have I mentioned this before? I know I have! And it's not bragging - it's me NOT taking for granted just how lucky we are. Because there are women who struggle. I've read their posts. I've talked to them in person. I've seen it first hand sitting right next to my best friend. If you were to sak me if breastfeeding was easy, my answer would be ABSOLUTELY NOT. Not because my experience has been hard, but because it can be hard and no matter what, it takes a lot of time and effort regardless of if you have problems.
Sometimes I feel guilt for having no troubles. Tonight I pondered this thought. Why did/do I not have problems? Really...why? The main problems I hear about are usually latching, supply, and thrush. I didn't have any of these. Why, why, why? And then the thought of my natural birth came into my head. Did that have anything to do with it?
I'm not a researcher. I'm not a doctor. And I've hardly talked to enough women to find out. But it's a question that makes me curious. Perhaps they've already done this research (and if there is a study out there about this...please send it to me...I'm very curious). But if they haven't done this study, wouldn't it be nice to know if a natural birth vs. birth that called for medications had anything to do with it?
The variables would be numerous - which medications were used, the dosages given, perhaps the type of birth (vaginal vs. c/s), etc. But overall, my questions is, does medication have a lasting effect on breastfeeding? Do meds disrupt something that makes it harder for a child to latch on? Do meds do something to horomones that would make it harder for milk to come in when its supposed to, resulting in a low supply and discouraging women from waiting it out? Is it possible meds could completely take away a woman's milk supply? Can meds make a woman's body more likely to have thrush?
Or maybe it's just chance. It's just a completely natural thing.
Or maybe it's a little bit of both.
I don't know. And that's that. I DO NOT KNOW. I'm not assuming anything. I'm not saying these are side effects. I'm just curious.
Highway Shoe-Losers...come in please
How do people lose odd things, like A SHOE on the highway? Not a pair. Just one.
I understand hats - people driving convertibles or open top Jeeps or something similar.
I understand baby socks, shoes, toys, etc - children like throwing things out the window (although I'm not a fan of open windows for children on a busy street for this very reason and others).
I understand cds since I've lost and witnessed several other occassions where they go flying out the window when you're searching for one very specific cd (how often is it the one that just flew out the window?).
But do tell...how do you lose ONE shoe? If it's a situation where your trunk opened and your suitcase came unpacked - then why did you pick up everything BUT that shoe? I'm just curious. HOW THE F*^&@ DO PEOPLE LOSE ONE SHOE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET?!
And that's your random thought for the day:o)
I understand hats - people driving convertibles or open top Jeeps or something similar.
I understand baby socks, shoes, toys, etc - children like throwing things out the window (although I'm not a fan of open windows for children on a busy street for this very reason and others).
I understand cds since I've lost and witnessed several other occassions where they go flying out the window when you're searching for one very specific cd (how often is it the one that just flew out the window?).
But do tell...how do you lose ONE shoe? If it's a situation where your trunk opened and your suitcase came unpacked - then why did you pick up everything BUT that shoe? I'm just curious. HOW THE F*^&@ DO PEOPLE LOSE ONE SHOE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET?!
And that's your random thought for the day:o)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
My stash!
A few days ago I took inventory of my freezer milk stash and it was up to 60.5 oz! At first I thought woo-hoo! Then I REALLY thought about it and I'm no where near where I need it to be. I remember reading someone's post about how they had pumped almost 200 ozs and it still wasn't enough to get them through the first full year! Granted, their situation was likely to be completely different from mine. I haven't run the numbers yet, but in a few months I will really have to start thinking about how much milk I'm going to need for Autumn. Here are some things I need to consider:
1 - Food. When I do decide to start solid foods (cereal and purees) it will mean that I'll need to have a few ounces ready to go to mix with her food. Obviously I'm not going to sit there like a cow and tug at my boobs to put milk in her bowl. Although that would be a sight to see!
2 - Morning Care. Likely my sister-in-law is going to be totally awesome and watch Autumn for me in the mornings when the fall semester starts. Right now I'm signed up for classes Mon-Fri morning, but I'm on the wait list for a third class. If I get into the waitlist class, I would drop the Mon/Wed/Fri class and only have classes on Tues/Thurs in the mornings. This would mean I would need less milk because she'd only be away from me for two mornings, which is far better than trying to supply milk for five mornings!
3 - Demand. I will have no idea for another few months what Autumn's feeding schedule will be like. Not only will I have to take into consideration how often she is eating, but also the food I'll be sending with her. So...we'll be handling bottles & solids at once. Good thoughts? By then I ***think*** her feeding schedule will be more spread out, not necessarily every 2-3 hours like it is now, AND I think when I start solids she only gets it at one meal for a little while (dinner?) and then she gradually moves up to having it at every meal. So, in the beginning I may not be using as much of my freezer stash as I anticipate.
The really great thing is that the freezer stash will likely only be used for mornings when I have class and for mixing with solids. I will still have Autumn in the afternoon and evenings, which means we can still breastfeed whenever we like. AND, if I'm up for the challenge, I can still pump when I need to/want to to continue adding to the stash.
If you have any thoughts/suggestions that helped when you needed to send your little one to be cared for by someone else I would really love to hear about it!
1 - Food. When I do decide to start solid foods (cereal and purees) it will mean that I'll need to have a few ounces ready to go to mix with her food. Obviously I'm not going to sit there like a cow and tug at my boobs to put milk in her bowl. Although that would be a sight to see!
2 - Morning Care. Likely my sister-in-law is going to be totally awesome and watch Autumn for me in the mornings when the fall semester starts. Right now I'm signed up for classes Mon-Fri morning, but I'm on the wait list for a third class. If I get into the waitlist class, I would drop the Mon/Wed/Fri class and only have classes on Tues/Thurs in the mornings. This would mean I would need less milk because she'd only be away from me for two mornings, which is far better than trying to supply milk for five mornings!
3 - Demand. I will have no idea for another few months what Autumn's feeding schedule will be like. Not only will I have to take into consideration how often she is eating, but also the food I'll be sending with her. So...we'll be handling bottles & solids at once. Good thoughts? By then I ***think*** her feeding schedule will be more spread out, not necessarily every 2-3 hours like it is now, AND I think when I start solids she only gets it at one meal for a little while (dinner?) and then she gradually moves up to having it at every meal. So, in the beginning I may not be using as much of my freezer stash as I anticipate.
The really great thing is that the freezer stash will likely only be used for mornings when I have class and for mixing with solids. I will still have Autumn in the afternoon and evenings, which means we can still breastfeed whenever we like. AND, if I'm up for the challenge, I can still pump when I need to/want to to continue adding to the stash.
If you have any thoughts/suggestions that helped when you needed to send your little one to be cared for by someone else I would really love to hear about it!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Winding down...
This evening I remembered why I don't get to post often (yet I'm pushing myself to do it tonight)...because there are no 48 hours in one day...only HALF of that. Dammit!
At 1030pm I was just winding down.
Get home from work. Dinner. Give Jynx a bath. Go for a family walk. Read books & sing to Autumn. Get Autumn ready for bed. Feed Autumn. Goodnight Autumn! Brush dog. Tidy-up kitchen from dinner. Put clothes in washer. Take out garbage. Take out recycling. Pack diaper bag for morning. Make the bed. Put husband to bed. BREATHE!
AND if you looked around my house, it would look like nothing has been done. The bathroom is in chaos b/c I haven't put everything back after giving the dog a bath. There's folded laundry that needs to be put away. Cloth diapers that need to be put away. A sink full of dishes. A dishwasher full of clean disher. Laundry that is now waiting to be put in the dryer.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's never ending. But what is good? The fact that I know it's never-ending, meaning that instead of trying to do it all tonight I'm just letting it sit and fester and I will get to it tomorrow. Well...the laundry I need to put in the dryer, but I'll so that before bed. Everything else will wait. Because it can. And because I NEED to have my 30-60 minutes of ME time. So I spent some time catching up on blogs and writing this post. And now? Now it's bedtime!
Tomorrow we're off to a pool playdate. Woo-hoo!
At 1030pm I was just winding down.
Get home from work. Dinner. Give Jynx a bath. Go for a family walk. Read books & sing to Autumn. Get Autumn ready for bed. Feed Autumn. Goodnight Autumn! Brush dog. Tidy-up kitchen from dinner. Put clothes in washer. Take out garbage. Take out recycling. Pack diaper bag for morning. Make the bed. Put husband to bed. BREATHE!
AND if you looked around my house, it would look like nothing has been done. The bathroom is in chaos b/c I haven't put everything back after giving the dog a bath. There's folded laundry that needs to be put away. Cloth diapers that need to be put away. A sink full of dishes. A dishwasher full of clean disher. Laundry that is now waiting to be put in the dryer.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's never ending. But what is good? The fact that I know it's never-ending, meaning that instead of trying to do it all tonight I'm just letting it sit and fester and I will get to it tomorrow. Well...the laundry I need to put in the dryer, but I'll so that before bed. Everything else will wait. Because it can. And because I NEED to have my 30-60 minutes of ME time. So I spent some time catching up on blogs and writing this post. And now? Now it's bedtime!
Tomorrow we're off to a pool playdate. Woo-hoo!
Hopping on the Thankful Thursday Bandwagon
Sure...EVERYONE seems to be doing it, but what is not cool about taking a day to remember that there are things to be thankful for?! And since today is a ROCKIN Thursday in our home I think I'll start today:o)
1. My little girl who slept til from 10pm to 630 this morning! FLAME ME...I don't care...hahaha!
2. Opportunities that present themselves at the most needed time! Prayers do get answered! Just recently things have worked out for my bff & her family and things are also starting to turn around in our own home. I'm just so happy for all of us.
3. A husband who tries his very best to be everything to his family...I love him whole-heartedly<3<3<3
4. "Violet" the Puppy from Leapfrog! A gift from our friend, Sandra. OMG it's so freakin cute & it's says Autumn's name & sings songs & talks...I want one for myself!!!!
5. Coupons to dept store picture places so I can get lots of picture for REALLY cheap prices!
6. Italian food. Nuff said.
7. A job (& employers) who are just simply awesome. I try to never take for granted the flexibility I have with my job...the simple fact that Autumn comes with me is the just the start of it. The flexible hours...the well-behaved children...and the boss-lady who is more like a big sister...what more could I ask for?!
8. Chunky baby thighs to tickle!
9. Wake-up smiles:o)
10. Microwaves, so I can heat up my italian dinner from last night! And on that note...I'm going to eat lunch and pack up to go to work!
I hope you find something to be thankful for today!
1. My little girl who slept til from 10pm to 630 this morning! FLAME ME...I don't care...hahaha!
2. Opportunities that present themselves at the most needed time! Prayers do get answered! Just recently things have worked out for my bff & her family and things are also starting to turn around in our own home. I'm just so happy for all of us.
3. A husband who tries his very best to be everything to his family...I love him whole-heartedly<3<3<3
4. "Violet" the Puppy from Leapfrog! A gift from our friend, Sandra. OMG it's so freakin cute & it's says Autumn's name & sings songs & talks...I want one for myself!!!!
5. Coupons to dept store picture places so I can get lots of picture for REALLY cheap prices!
6. Italian food. Nuff said.
7. A job (& employers) who are just simply awesome. I try to never take for granted the flexibility I have with my job...the simple fact that Autumn comes with me is the just the start of it. The flexible hours...the well-behaved children...and the boss-lady who is more like a big sister...what more could I ask for?!
8. Chunky baby thighs to tickle!
9. Wake-up smiles:o)
10. Microwaves, so I can heat up my italian dinner from last night! And on that note...I'm going to eat lunch and pack up to go to work!
I hope you find something to be thankful for today!
As requested...
So, in keeping with the desire to post more...and as requested by Sara from NinjaPanza...here are some of my recent favorite pictures of Autumn.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
I got an AWARD?!
Holy macaroni & cheese! First & foremost, I totally feel undeserving of this award because I've neglected this blog except for maybe once a month...however, perhaps this will inspire me to write more;o)
So, Sara from NinjaPanza nominated me for an award. She has little Oliver, 7 months, who just has the cutest laugh ever. I dare you to watch her post "Gigglefest" and not grin from ear to ear! It can't be done...it's so stinkin cute!
Here be the award:
The rules? List 10 interesting, random facts about ME! & then nominate other blogs!
So, please keep all hands and feet inside the ride at all times...and try to refrain from jumping out at any particularly boring moment:oP
1. I have never lived on my own. Parental household -> dorm room -> apt w/ brother -> living with boyfriend...who became hubby. Sometimes I wish I had, at one point, lived completely alone so that everything would be MINE and decorated/organized the way I wanted it.
2. I would stay in school forever. At times it's stressful, but I love staying busy and having something to focus on. ESPECIALLY research papers. Sick, isn't it?
3. My favorite dessert is tiramisu. ::drooling now::
4. I know how to latchhook. And I enjoy doing it! But I have NO CLUE what to do with the projects when I'm done with them, so I refrain from doing them.
5. The last advice my grandmother gave me: "Just keep laughing." Words.I.Live.By
6. My first dog's name was Snoopy. And no, he was NOT named after the cartoon character.
7. I have a strong desire to write a book, but have yet to figure out what it's going to be on. I just have this overwhelming feeling that one day I will be presented a great question to research and I can't wait to find out what it will be.
8. I don't like cabinet doors open...even the littlest bit. Call it a tick or OCD or whatever. But if a cabinet door is open, I MUST shut it.
9. I'll sweep and then get lazy and leave the pile in the corner because I couldn't find the dustpan fast enough and I don't feel like dragging out the vacuum. My husband always tells me to get rid of my new "pet" (lots of dog hair) or he just picks it up. Hey...if the dustpan was where it was supposed to be, we wouldn't have this problem to begin with!
10. When I shower I go in this order: wash hair & rinse, wash body - left arm, belly, right arm, left leg, right leg, back, shave & rinse, condition hair, wash face, rinse conditioner out. Random...I know...but now I bet you're thinking about how YOU wash and you do it differently, don't you?
So, now to nominate other blogs....
~~Becky at Caleb Hudson...my best friend, a terrific mom, & an all around beautiful woman who inspires me to be a better person. I.LOVE.HER
~~Jen at It's A Domer Baby...I was sent a link to her blog when I was researching natural birth (she did a homebirth) and I was inspired by her birth story and now I love reading up on how she's raising little Joseph
~~Nate's Mama at Living like a bunch of dirty hippies...my local internet pal (who I still have YET to meet!) who pointed me towards the birth center I went to and answered all my never-ending questions about natural birth & such
~~Ruth at The Jones Brouhaha...a "knottie" from way-back-when who recently had a gorgeous little baby boy...OMG I just want to snuggle him and give him kisses (note to self...remember to put his gift in the freakin mail already!)
~~Becki at Our Sweet Pea...my girlfriend from back home who is currently pregnant. She is fun and crazy and if pregnancy doesn't kill her (j/k!) I think she'll make a damn good mommy!
Monday, June 14, 2010
4 months
Autumn's check up last week went wonderfully. She is 13.4lbs and grew almost 2 inches in one month! She's now 25.75 inches tall! That's still 95% for her height! She's so strong and the doctor was so pleased with her progress...it seems everyday she's doing something new! Here are just a few things:
~She can take her paci out of her mouth and tries VERY hard to put it back in...she gets very close, but sometimes it's backwards. But this is a sure sign of fine motor skills at work!
~She rolls over from her back to her front. It has been caught on video! She is not rolling over from her belly to her back, but I think that's because she is trying to crawl so hard that she doesn't want to roll back over...what fun is it to lay on your back? Right?
~She watches Baby Einstein videos maybe once a day or once every other day. Her favorite right now is one that a friend bought us - it's the start of early language or something like that. Her favorite part is the sheep that go "baaaa baaa" and she actually gives tehm big smiles and tries to imitate them. It's HYSTERICAL to listen to!
~She has definitely found her voice and it's LOUD. Go figure. She just likes to babble and "talk" and she makes sure that she has your full attention.
~She has found her toes.
~She is very close to sitting up by herself. She pulls her body to the upright position by herself, but she can't keep herself balanced.
~She has gone to the pool and really enjoyed it!
~She's starting to fight sleep. This is annoying. She does not take long naps during the day usually, but she's still sleeping pretty good throughout the night.
~No teeth, but she's still teething and drooling hardcore.
~She reaches for things and can pick up some of her toys. I find this to be totally awesome and I love giving her new things to play with.
~She can take her paci out of her mouth and tries VERY hard to put it back in...she gets very close, but sometimes it's backwards. But this is a sure sign of fine motor skills at work!
~She rolls over from her back to her front. It has been caught on video! She is not rolling over from her belly to her back, but I think that's because she is trying to crawl so hard that she doesn't want to roll back over...what fun is it to lay on your back? Right?
~She watches Baby Einstein videos maybe once a day or once every other day. Her favorite right now is one that a friend bought us - it's the start of early language or something like that. Her favorite part is the sheep that go "baaaa baaa" and she actually gives tehm big smiles and tries to imitate them. It's HYSTERICAL to listen to!
~She has definitely found her voice and it's LOUD. Go figure. She just likes to babble and "talk" and she makes sure that she has your full attention.
~She has found her toes.
~She is very close to sitting up by herself. She pulls her body to the upright position by herself, but she can't keep herself balanced.
~She has gone to the pool and really enjoyed it!
~She's starting to fight sleep. This is annoying. She does not take long naps during the day usually, but she's still sleeping pretty good throughout the night.
~No teeth, but she's still teething and drooling hardcore.
~She reaches for things and can pick up some of her toys. I find this to be totally awesome and I love giving her new things to play with.
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