What we've been up to

This week has been a crazy whirlwind! My momma was here all week, and she was a huge help with the boys, especially since Reid was recovering from surgery. He's doing amazingly well, by the way. Crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything, including his big brother, which made his pants fall down. We had a good laugh over that one.

As an update to my previous post, we did end up using a little formula to supplement when I haven't had enough milk for Reid's bottles. He's been getting 5 oz of breastmilk mixed with 2 oz of formula. He's still nursing well when we're together, though, and I am thankful for that.

And Colin... oh, Colin. He is the most hilarious kid. As he inches closer to three, he is (knock on wood) becoming easier to communicate with and as a result he's having fewer tantrums. He is a little sponge, absorbing everything around him and starting to ask questions. Last night at bedtime he was asking me what different animals eat. He is a very busy two year old and it is often tough to get him to settle down for a nap or bedtime. He's still an early riser, too. Both kids are, and I'll be honest, the lack of sleep can really wear me down some days. I'll be thankful when they are both consistently sleeping through the night. That does happen, right?

Speaking of which, I'm afraid to even say anything in case I might jinx it, but as long as everyone stays healthy and nothing comes up, this Saturday night we will be kid free all night long to go to a coworker's wedding. I am stoked. 


 

That time I bought formula

Remember the time I was talking about how I haven't spent a dollar on formula for Reid yet? Well, that isn't true anymore. Now I've spent ten dollars on formula.

Over the course of the past ten months, my milk supply has fluctuated. There were times when I had so much milk that I thought I was going to explode, and there were times that I worried because there just didn't seem to be enough. I have only had one six ounce bag of milk stored in my freezer for the past few weeks, and thankfully I've been able to pump just enough for Reid's needs during the day while I'm at work.

Well, the pumping was getting to be a little crazy, and I was having to pump 3-4 times a day just to get enough milk for the next day. I've been trying all my usual tricks for increasing supply (herbal supplements, oatmeal, etc.) and it only made a slight difference. 

So, yesterday at lunch I picked up some formula. Holy moly, I forgot how expensive that stuff is. $10 for six 8-ounce bottles of liquid formula. I realize the powder is cheaper, but I wanted to be sure we didn't waste a whole can if it didn't work out.

Last night, I offered Reid a bottle of formula at bedtime and he hated it. He takes bottles of breastmilk every day, so it wasn't the bottle that was the problem. I guess he just didn't like the formula. He turned away from it and pawed at my breast. My mom tried to give him the bottle too, but she had the same experience. 

Today while I'm at work, she's going to try adding a little formula to a bottle of breastmilk, and that way we can gradually increase the amount of formula (and eventually cow's milk once we start that transition) and decrease the amount of breastmilk. He's doing so well with solids now, too, and he will drink a little water or pedialyte when we offer it, so I am confident his nutritional needs are being met.

Breastfeeding moms: Did your supply start to decrease as your baby got older and started eating more solids? Did you ever have to supplement? I'd love to hear about your experiences!
 

Surgery and a Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday, my sweet baby Reid had yet another fun hospital experience. It's a good thing he won't remember anything from his first year, because my poor little guy has been through the ringer. Between his NICU stay, a hospitalization at 5 weeks for RSV, and countless ER and urgent care visits due to a slew of different viruses and ear infections (oh, and his ear tubes), it feels like the local children's hospital is our home away from home. Not really, but almost.

Reid all prepped for surgery

Anyway, our little adventure yesterday was a procedure to repair his circumcision. I'll spare you the gory details, but there was an issue that was not going to resolve itself over time, as one pediatrician had originally told us, and the only way to fix it was through surgery.

Reid was a perfect angel at the hospital, smiling and babbling to the doctors and nurses, and only crying for a few minutes in recovery. I thought he would be an angry baby since he couldn't nurse any later than 3:15 am, and his surgery wasn't scheduled until 9:15. But as usual, he maintained his sweet as pie demeanor and made friends wherever we went.

In order to help out with his recovery, my mom came to town and is staying with us this week. It's been great to have her around. Over the weekend (before the surgery), mom and I took the kids to a pumpkin patch and had a nice time enjoying the gorgeous fall weather. The highlight of that day was that Colin got to drive the horse-drawn covered wagon. I don't think I've ever seen him so serious about a task in his life. This pumpkin patch trip was really more for Colin. Reid hung out in the stroller or in the Ergo most of the time and didn't care too much to be in pictures. :)

In the coming weeks, I hope to get into some more fall fun with my boys. Speaking of which, stay tuned next week for the cutest Buzz and Woody you ever did see!

 

Breastfeeding update

I am proud to say that almost 10 months in, we still haven't spent a dollar on formula for Reid. Pretty amazing, but boy, what a journey it has been.

I've always wanted to breastfeed. With Colin, I only made it a few weeks before throwing in the towel. It was not, as I discovered, as "natural" and easy as I had heard it described. My first experience with nursing was that it was painful and stressful. I had a constant fear that I wasn't producing enough for my baby. Colin was losing weight and jaundiced, and as soon as we got past one hurdle, something else would pop up. It was frustrating and neither of us was happy, so we formula fed him from there on out. Please know that I take no issue with moms who choose to formula feed, but in my case I was upset that my original plan didn't work out, and I had some self-inflicted guilt to work through as a result.

When we found out we were expecting baby #2, I knew I wanted to give breastfeeding another try. I felt like I owed it to myself. My attitude this time was different though, given the way the first attempt had gone. I went into it with the thought that if it didn't work out, it would be okay, but that I would give it my best shot.

Yes, there were still hurdles this time. Reid spent the first six days of his life in the NICU with a feeding tube, so I couldn't nurse him and had to pump instead. I had awful engorgement issues for those entire six days. My breasts were HUGE and ugly and had red splotches and golf ball sized lumps. I hated it.
 
But then, the day my baby was discharged from the hospital, he latched on for the first time, and he did it beautifully. My milk came in, he continued to latch well, and we never looked back. I have also had the hurdle of having to pump at work to provide for him while he's at daycare all day Monday through Friday. Pumping has taken a lot of time and energy, and it has certainly not been easy, but we've made it work and it has become a part of my routine.

Well, my little Reid man will be 10 months old on Friday, and we're still truckin' along. He loves to nurse but also takes his bottles well at daycare. He is still waking up at night, in part because he's teething and in part, I think, because he just misses me. I know he's old enough to let him cry it out according to certain methods, but honestly it isn't that big a deal to me so I continue to get up and nurse him. He breastfeeds 3-4 times a day and takes two bottles at daycare, and he is also doing really well with stage 3 baby food and certain finger foods. He loves puffs and yogurt melts, and he has tried avocado, potato, mandarin oranges and pear. Of those, he only really liked the potatoes and pears. I'm not pushing new foods too hard yet, because he still only has two teeth and he eats his baby food so well.

Oh, and speaking of teeth, he did bite me a few times when they first came in. Um, ouch. When that happened, I took the advice of a friend and pressed his face into my breast, which startled him and made him let go. It only took maybe three or four times before he figured it out and stopped biting.

Overall, my takeaway from this second chance at breastfeeding is that it is challenging at times, but also convenient in a lot of ways. I'm not sure I'm any more bonded to Reid than I would be if we were bottle feeding, although it did give us a lot of good cuddle time in the beginning when he would nurse constantly. A major plus is that my baby weight has fallen right off, so hooray for the calorie burning aspect. Basically, there have been ups and downs, but when all is said and done I am really glad I stuck with it. It has been good for both Reid and for me in a lot of ways, and I am so very thankful it's still working for us. Pregnant moms, if you're on the fence about breastfeeding, and new moms, if you're thinking about throwing in the towel, let me encourage you to set a short term goal and give it your all. With Reid, it took a good few weeks to get into a rhythm where nursing was easy for both of us, so keep that in mind, too. And please, please don't hesitate to find a good lactation consultant or contact your local La Leche League for help. There are a ton of great resources out there if you look.

Let me know if you have any questions, mamas - I'm an open book!

More to come.

 

Camilia Teething Relief {Giveaway}!

Is your little one having teething troubles? You're not alone. We know all about the joys of teething. The fussing, the crying, the night waking, the puddles of drool. It's just lovely, isn't it?

When one of my boys is cutting a new tooth, I tend to reach for the ibuprofen, but let's be honest. The irritability associated with teething can sometimes last a while, especially when multiple teeth are coming in at once, and it doesn't seem like a great idea to be constantly medicating my kids.

If you're looking for a more homeopathic teething remedy, you might want to give Camilia Teething Relief a try. Camilia temporarily relieves symptoms of teething, including painful gums and irritability. It comes in single dose vials of liquid that you simply snap apart, twist open and pour into your little one's mouth. Easy peasy!

Want a free box to try? Just enter using the widget below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
I was not compensated monetarily for this giveaway, but I did receive a free box of Camilia Teething Relief from Boiron USA.

An Employee in my Home

The other day as I was elbow-deep in dishwater, I said to my husband, "Sometimes it feels like I work here." And it's true. Don't get me wrong; I am fully aware that we are blessed in many ways. We are fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads, and food on the table. We are all healthy, at least for the moment. Justin pitches in and helps out where he is needed. These things aren't lost on me.

But when each day is pretty much the same and we don't get many breaks, it's pretty easy to feel burned out. Parenthood is a voluntary position. You don't get paid for what you do, and you don't always get praised for it, either. There are certain things that are expected of you, regardless of how you feel or how much sleep you got the night before. Everyone must be fed. The house must be cleaned every now and then. The children must be disciplined. There are naps to be taken. Baths to be given. Stories to be read. Piles upon piles of laundry to be washed. Oh, and a marriage to tend to. No matter how much you love your spouse and your kids, there are days when it really does feel like work.

I must say though, these bosses of mine sure are cute.

Now if only they'd give us a couple weeks of vacation time, we'd be all set. :)