While breastfeeding, when did your cycle return?

Did you milk it for all it was worth? (breastfed or pumped)

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Not Me Monday!

Our sleeping saga with Par has not repeated itself--thank goodness. But Par is definitely changing--and my tender heart fears too quickly! Par has become very independent during the day and is less interested in BF for "meals" and is preferring "snacks"--which is fine--I'll do whatever it takes, but take a gander at this scenario.
Par is playing with a book. He'll stand up and bring me the book and grunt. The grunt means many things, but in this case it means "show me/read me the book." So I oblige, pick him up and begin to open the book. Then another grunt and his face is buried in my chest. He wants what I would "affectionately" call a sip of mommy milk. So I readjust, undo my clever nursing bra and Par takes a sip. That's it. Now he is ready to read. So do I put the mommy milk away? I do not dare. If I do then he'll grunt and want a sip. So at any given moment--much like his first few months home, I am semi-topless in our house. I've noticed that he doesn't do this in the bed--morning or night. My guess is that he knows he can easily access "it" without my help when I'm wearing my nightgown. But when I am dressed--it is the scenario I mentioned. Thankfully, he doesn't do this when we are out.
Par is my first, but I assume it is just part of becoming more independent. He wants to know that he can have mommy milk WHENEVER he wants. He doesn't need to worry, I have rarely denied him--just on few occasions I have had to delay it 5 or 10 minutes because we are in the car or church is just about over...so I'm guessing he just wants to make sure his new independence in playing isn't confused by independence from mommy milk.

But wipe those tears away---because today is Not Me Monday!--posting a tad bit early--because--well....everyone else is...

Not me--I am not posting early because I want to have a low digit when it comes to Mr. Linky on MckMama's blog--that would be stupid.

I did not feed my son instant oatmeal for dinner because I was tired of making a real dinner--that would be selfish.

I did not enlist my husband to help with dinner and bath time for Par so that I could clean the kitchen and the bathroom--all so I could enjoy tomorrow without having to clean the house. That would be terrible and also pretty selfish since my husband goes to work each day. So don't worry--I know better than that--even if I did want to spend all day outside tomorrow--I wouldn't even dream of it!

And finally--I did not once (or everyday this week)get down on the floor so Par could climb on me for a mini-massage (much like my not me monday! from last week).

Friday, September 26, 2008

I scream, you scream!

Check this out!

Ice Cream anyone?

Monday, September 22, 2008

"Not Me!" Monday



Enjoy each Monday--and add to it! Check out MCK MAMA--she's a riot!

Not me...no, I would never pretend to be asleep while my 10 month old son pinched and hit me in the back trying to wake me up. And I would never adjust my position just a tad to make sure he was hitting just the right spot...no, not me...never. :)

Friday, September 19, 2008

Rejected.

We aren't quite sure what happened last night.

I put Par to bed around 9pm--he went right to sleep. Rusty and I were still up at midnight in the den--I heard Par starting to wake up so I walked in the room. He looked at me and started screaming--not crying--screaming--screaming for his mama. I kept trying to tell him that I indeed am his mama--he can't even look at me--he seems terrified. I scoop him up (he screams louder) and take him to Rusty--he lunges for Rusty and clings to him while looking at me and screaming as if I am poking him with needles. We did our best to get ready for bed quickly--which is difficult with a child screaming crying--I thought maybe he was just overly tired. I hoped into bed and offered him my breast. He rejected me. He screamed louder. Rusty had to come get him because he didn't want to be near me. Go ahead, insert a fork in my heart and twist. Oh--it was so sad--I was sad for him because it was as if he didn't recognize me--and sad for me because he has never not wanted me. And sad for Rusty--because as great as it has to feel to have your son reach out to you--I know he was worried that something was wrong. Par screamed for about 2 hours. The screams would lull at times--if we showed him something interesting--but he'd get bored and start screaming. I offered the Mommy Milk a number of times--all rejected. After 2 hours of offering, being rejected and hearing my precious angel crying--I was leaking A LOT. Par finally fell asleep next to me--but I was afraid I was going to wake up engorged so as soon as I knew he was really asleep, I nudged him and he BF for about 20 minutes in his sleep. Thanks be to God!
He slept until 9 am--and I had to wake him up because his diaper looked like it was about to explode.
It was the strangest experience. Any ideas what might have happened? Was he sleep walking? He is totally normal today/tonight. I hope it doesn't happen again...

(our first thought was reherniation or some sort of issue like that--but we ruled those out after he seemed to be able to turn the screaming off and on at will)

Friday, September 12, 2008

The Giggler

Par is an official giggler.

I nurse Par down for naps and bed (that means I BF until he falls asleep)and lately he has been overly tired and started giggling while BF before naps.

While this is cute in so many ways--the bigger the smile the more I feel those pearly whites--and he has 4 now! It doesn't help that I start laughing at the situation which only makes him giggle more. Ouch.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Are you kidding me?

Warning: This entry may include violent tangents without clear transitions. Careful while reading.
My husband LOVES Mountain Dew. Ironically, I love Mountain Dew too (my high school friends may remember my addiction--but I gave it up at some point in college and I have avoided it except on very rare occasions). In fact, I have given up soft drinks (cokes, sodas, colas, etc.)altogether and haven't had one since the night before Par was born. I allowed myself to indulge in a coke now and then while I was pregnant (I know, not a healthy choice--but I did say indulge)and I have decided to only indulge in one while pregnant from now on. I'm less likely to over-indulge (abuse) these unhealthy devices whilst pregnant--and I know it won't work to say "never again"--so this way, it is more likely than not that I'll get to have another one some day...so if you see me taking a swig, you'll know I'm preggers. (Thankfully I want a lot of children--because I love me some coca-cola.)
So...like I said, Rusty loves to do the Dew. Rarely is he without one. So it was no surprise as we were entering the hospital to visit my new niece that Rusty was armed with a fresh 20oz Mtn. Dew being kept cool by a koozie. I was pushing Par in the stroller--he was fussing a little because it was close to bedtime--in an effort to distract him, Rusty handed him his Mtn. Dew bottle with the top screwed on tightly. Par seemed very happy with his new toy and we continued on our way to see Baby Frances.
We strolled in just as Julie's nurse was finishing up her vitals. The nurse looked at Par and smiled and said, "Oh! Is he a Mountain Dew Baby!?!"
Yes, you read that right. A Mountain Dew Baby. A Mountain Dew Baby? Does that really exist. And is it actually endearing as her joyful toned implied?
I was upset by this insinuation-I quickly corrected her and said, "No, exclusively BF" not quite explaining why he was playing with a Mtn. Dew bottle. But I was shocked. Surely a nurse--a nurse in the hospital touted for fantastic BF support here in Birmingham--wouldn't think feeding a 10 month old baby Mountain Dew is cute. Or would she? She then told us of how her daughter was a Mtn. Dew child and she just thought he looked so cute with the bottle. I quickly gave the bottle back to Rusty.
Really? Are you kidding me? This makes me sad. Here I am trying to promote the healthiest choice--thinking our adversaries are formula and (gasp!) cow's milk. Little did I know...
Little did I know that I would ever prefer a child to embibe hormone infested cow skim milk--but in this situation, get yourself a gallon.
Check out this sad sad picture...
Mountain Dew Baby? Really?
I feel certain--you can't grave what you've never had. Sorry Par.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

So scared.

Back in January, I had a bad kidney infection and was in the hospital for almost a week. They had me on some strong medication and I wasn't able to BF--thankfully, I had loads of breastmilk in the freezer and it wasn't a huge deal (well, it was--but everything ended up being ok).
I don't have any back up breastmilk--I have a kidney infection--I pray that we caught it in time--but I am so scared of having to go back in the hospital and not be able to feed Par.
Please pray that the antibiotics they've given me are strong enough to knock it out!
I already know not to take BF for granted--especially since we had such a rough start--but this is a big reminder of how our health is SO important to our babies!!!!