tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29844309168987457042024-03-06T03:13:40.005-05:00Holy Crap! I'm pregnant!I'm 37 and a mom for the first time. I started this blog early in my pregnancy and now I am a mother and you can read all about my journey. Enjoy!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-41230992747569309492010-05-12T11:59:00.001-04:002010-05-12T12:00:25.153-04:00we're moving!I have renamed the blog and we're now there instead of here...<br /><a href="http://www.holycrapiamamom.blogspot.com/">http://www.holycrapiamamom.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />SOON I will move it all to wordpress too!<br /><br />XOsonyaSNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-2082121213328685402010-01-30T15:47:00.002-05:002010-01-30T15:56:23.415-05:00whoops!Oh man. Where have I been? My last post was 10/18 - over 3 months ago! It's been a little busy to say the least. I work in the music business and one of my bands debuted with a #1 record last week, so I'll blame that. Angus is 1 year old now! As of just a few days ago, and his birthday party is tomorrow. He is eating whatever we give him - not really jarred stuff anymore, but mostly whatever we eat, along with extra veggies and whatnot. He is WALKING! Just in the last few days his few steps turned into full walking, and he is using that a little more than crawling. In otherwords, time has gone by SO fast. I've been a bad blogger. I plan on writing blogs on my phone and sending it to post via email. I think that is easier to do during my travels, than finding time to sit in front of the computer and get something up. Evenings are spent putting Angus to sleep, answering work emails, eating dinner and going to bed. If i'm lucky, a little TV. Weekends are all Angus all the time - except now, as he is napping. Oh, and I am still breastfeeding! I only pump 2X a day at work and not at all at home. He is drinking about 5-6oz per day when I am at work. He sleeps from about 8pm-4:30am, then has some milk and sleeps until ideally 7 or so. Not bad, huh? Things have progressed nicely albeit with a few hiccups along the way, especially in the sleep department. OK. Hopefully I will be able to post more often!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-7482164360398903602009-10-18T05:01:00.000-04:002009-10-18T05:02:22.957-04:00sloth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDQ9V7pj2Y53H0OmGZy4bS-sTFIV8ab3g2dGjL_x05fH_xoBKAf6jlR5fsa7MwRgzi5Af8B3ndIp4ZagAgHzzKv7iDBNyrQFseQXm_-Dlhh61GSCiNRb25jfDsvCriDNcX_X9P7ZY8FQ/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDQ9V7pj2Y53H0OmGZy4bS-sTFIV8ab3g2dGjL_x05fH_xoBKAf6jlR5fsa7MwRgzi5Af8B3ndIp4ZagAgHzzKv7iDBNyrQFseQXm_-Dlhh61GSCiNRb25jfDsvCriDNcX_X9P7ZY8FQ/s200/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393860812106225602" border="0" /></a>I've been feeling really unhealthy lately. I've been eating kind of badly. Not so much during the day at work, but when I get home. I have no time to grocery shop, therefore we have no food, therefore we order in. No matter how often you order in, it feels like a treat for some reason. Maybe that's left over from childhood, when 98% of my meals were at the kitchen table with my family. I need to feel better. I am thinking about doing a 3 day juice cleanse to get started, but I need to check to make sure it's ok with breastfeeding. I'm sure it is...oh, and it's really crazily expensive. But as a friend who is also considering the same cleanse said, "maybe the high cost incentivises" you to do it! Still, I have better things to spend my money on, like groceries! Haha.<br /><br />I am going to take some steps to feel better. I'm going to grocery shop more. When I shop, I'm also going to buy ingredients to make at least 2 meals at home. That doesn't count easy things like spaghetti. These would be a few more detailed meals with say 5 ingredients or so. Maybe something I can put in the freezer. Oh, and salads. Johnny and I used to eat salads all the time and we stopped. Honestly I think we stopped because I don't like washing lettuce. I also don't like the chemical taste from cut up salad in a bag. I think I will buy romaine leaves and then just wash and cut enough for 2 days worth of salads. Another thing I will do is walk a little further for my lunch. I go about a block, 2 at the most. I'm going to go further. It's good exercise mainly, but it's good to clear your head and get fresh air. Angus is SO mobile and before I know it he's going to be running into traffic, so I need to get in shape and feel good so I cam keep up with him!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-10067342504776142352009-09-20T22:26:00.005-04:002009-09-20T22:48:04.162-04:00food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkM4NUiy0HyM5oHYMNzuz70lPbDfS3PHnuP7-sKy4jteq4hnRuiJHnVt8-VjAdFe_gR5ySottx-eHMJ-YH-oyhq7Eqz2jD0DnkcnzPTywb6w1U1phYLH52WApKFt_DgBiUGavZSp2Ktyk/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkM4NUiy0HyM5oHYMNzuz70lPbDfS3PHnuP7-sKy4jteq4hnRuiJHnVt8-VjAdFe_gR5ySottx-eHMJ-YH-oyhq7Eqz2jD0DnkcnzPTywb6w1U1phYLH52WApKFt_DgBiUGavZSp2Ktyk/s200/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383746862162645778" border="0" /></a>Angus is eating 3 non-breast milk meals a day. Jarred food - I use Earth's Best. I feel mildly guilty about the fact that I fully intended to cook some of his food - but have yet to do so. I bought the damn baby cubes and everything. I think I will make it a goal this week to at least cook SOMETHING for him. The jarred stuff is just so eeeeeeeeeeeasy, and the Earth's Best has no added junk. I do have some slight mistrust of them though. They falsified some info with their formula a while back, and I wonder about their jarred food. I do like the flavors though, and so does Angus - as long as those flavors aren't green. Ha! I am a little stressed out about 10 days from now when he's going to start getting finger food. Actually I'm more stressed out about after that, and for the next 18 or so years when I am the one responsible for feeding him balanced meals. I can barely feed myself a balanced meal. It's going to kind of suck to think about food groups and iron and protein and all that stuff. That seems like a full-time job to me! I think I'm going to have to spend some quality time reading up and learning more about this so I can not worry about it and have some meals in place. I guess that's still a ways away> in the meantime, I look forward to giving him tiny tiny pieces of food! Kiwi, Watermelon, cantalopue, cheese, fun times!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-20355194157581677662009-09-13T22:15:00.000-04:002009-09-13T22:16:19.752-04:00catching up<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIZA6BUh1VWPhMbmR1Bxz23MLee-IZ-HOysWzDzywF4InuWaTeJS1_v4KKbvpe6a6iilWNq0SkFcgmlS_5GQFiwyLHZQCVX3DeScYRl_KvqD_-mc3TmkXA5sWZhwNFeNwmvRI_qEM3J4/s1600-h/milk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIZA6BUh1VWPhMbmR1Bxz23MLee-IZ-HOysWzDzywF4InuWaTeJS1_v4KKbvpe6a6iilWNq0SkFcgmlS_5GQFiwyLHZQCVX3DeScYRl_KvqD_-mc3TmkXA5sWZhwNFeNwmvRI_qEM3J4/s200/milk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381140661273137810" border="0" /></a>I feel like I'm always so behind on blogging and that every time I blog I apologize for not doing it often enough. I hope that's a given. Anyway.....Angus is almost 8 months old and he's changed SO much! 1) He's crawling! 2) He has 5 teeth and a 6th arriving any day! He is SO much fun. It's just amazing to let him crawl and decide where he wants to go and what he wants to do. He has his own little mind and personality. It keeps us on our toes - it's a while new ballgame! Gone are the days of us putting him somewhere and having him stay there! He is constantly on the go. We're going to have to get in shape and do a lot of working out in order to keep up with him.<br /><br />Otherwise - we're doing well - I'm still managing to exclusively breastfeed (he's eating baby food of course). I pump 3X a day at work and my supply has been pretty consistent and I haven't had to unfreeze any bags in a while.<br /><br />Angus had his first night without me or Johnny last night. Johnny went to Toronto for the film festival and I had to be at a wedding in Vermont, so I dropped him off with the in-laws on Saturday morning. It was very lonely without the both of them and while I enjoyed the thought of sleeping in, and uninterrupted sleep, I was uncomfortable for some reason and I woke bright and early anyway. It was a quiet trip. Driving alone up and down to VT was nice and peaceful. Pre-baby, I spent a fair amount of time alone - walking in the city, or just vegging out. It was nice to have a little taste of that, but the niceness didn't make he miss the boys any less. Angus survived his stay and was happy to see me and seems unscathed! We did have to use a bunch of my frozen milk stash, and that is what's it's for. I still have a few bags left in the freezer, and I pumped a ton this weekend - probably about 6 bottles worth. I actually ran out of medela bottles to put the milk in, so I emptied out an unopened water bottle. It was so funny to see that bottle half full of milk - my milk that I made! I travelled with a big cooler and cooling supplies so that I could pump on the way. I pumped milk on the highway! I was really dreading leaving him with the in-laws, but I am glad it went well and I knew they would take great care of him, but of course I'm going to worry. I'm glad it's over! </div>SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-51352437215100174392009-08-19T21:55:00.006-04:002009-08-19T22:46:42.016-04:00SLEEP Part Two<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzipXefYr0w7H5k2nfxc-x4tJU3EQk4FjfnJEKC7r232G3dqziDR6Paer8FsG2V88jWEf0y3YuIzwgVa2hJkmrbUbu36c_qRPxeqlWBBq8dDSVOl3DH2XQ-V62obBhPrG8769LUtIfyWD3/s1600-h/sleepdoctor_logo1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 62px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzipXefYr0w7H5k2nfxc-x4tJU3EQk4FjfnJEKC7r232G3dqziDR6Paer8FsG2V88jWEf0y3YuIzwgVa2hJkmrbUbu36c_qRPxeqlWBBq8dDSVOl3DH2XQ-V62obBhPrG8769LUtIfyWD3/s200/sleepdoctor_logo1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371871867401032834" border="0" /></a>So...sleep training week. We started on a Tuesday - kinda...it was "lite" sleep training. My goal was to fix the problem of Angus being put to bed whilst deeply asleep. He never learnt to go to sleep! So...I merely fed him until he was almost asleep, and then brought him his crib, making sure he was aware and that his eyes were open. He fussed the first couple of nights a little, but that was the start of the training. He still woke up, but not as often, but I did pick him up and bring him back to our bed when he woke up around 2am or so. On Thursday we had a doctor's appt for him, and his pediatrician's office is known for being big advocates of sleep training. Normally I don't think this is a doctor's place, but given that we were trying to figure it out, I gladly listened to their advice.<br /><br />The advice, was pretty much what we already had read/researched ourselves - 1) no swaddle, just pj's 2) put him down awake but drowsy 3) if he cries, allow him to cry for 5 minutes, then go in for 1-2 minutes max and talk to him, and soothe him, but do NOT pick him up 4) if he's still crying, wait 10 minutes beore returning 5) if he STILL cries, wait another 15 before going in 6) cap it off at 15 minutes, so keep letting him cry in blocks of 15 minutes max.<br /><br />The first official night of this, probably at the 25 minute mark, he went to sleep. He then woke up at 3am and 5am and we repeated the above process. Around 6 I allowed him to be up. The next night was easier all around. It hardly took him any time to fall asleep, and he only woke up at 5 and then went back to sleep. It's been pretty smooth since then! He went to be tonight quite awake, and he just hung out and fiddled around in his crib for 5-10 minutes and then lay on his side and went to sleep. Last night same thing...no tears at all, and he slept until about 5, when he woke up probably 3X for about 2 minutes each time and put himself back to sleep. I picked him up at 6:30. Magic I tell you! I was SO surprised that this was so easy, and that it wasn't complete torture. He thankfully didn't cry for very long at any point, so it could have been a lot worse. It's also working for naps too! I have noticed that he's a happier baby - less cranky and fussy - not that he was much of either of those things at all, but I am VERY thankful that we did this when we did. I was turning into a zombie! YAY ANGUS!!!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-90319409449196572092009-08-15T12:01:00.002-04:002009-08-15T12:05:11.189-04:00SLEEP Part One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76XPOChcO-zHkECG3hNmFYIpt-dRDsTWQWjzAkV_aBkc1y_uUtIWDSC1uwnqeYasnPoSKMxShbaa7udjsiyxMJWf3RLNUuUcFJDEGp5AZOELKtCwO38ObUlvQL0DodrK6GvyXI0tPT9cP/s1600-h/IMG_0159.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76XPOChcO-zHkECG3hNmFYIpt-dRDsTWQWjzAkV_aBkc1y_uUtIWDSC1uwnqeYasnPoSKMxShbaa7udjsiyxMJWf3RLNUuUcFJDEGp5AZOELKtCwO38ObUlvQL0DodrK6GvyXI0tPT9cP/s200/IMG_0159.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370222224549001938" border="0" /></a>So...I've written here previously that Angus stopped his marathon sleeping sessions a couple of months back. He went from sleeping 10 hours straight, to waking up once, to waking up numerous times. Initially I would just feed him and put him back in his crib. Then I would just bring him to bed with me and let him nurse all he wanted. I would sleep on my side, he would sleep facing me with constant access to the boob. I guess it would be like sleeping on a buffet table! Needless to say, we weren't progressing well. I loved him sleeping next to me all snuggled up and cosy. My husband however, retreated to the couch at the height of this.<br /><br />We also suffered from a few other problems. #1 - I did what I dubbed "boob to sleep" ie: I would breastfeed him to complete deep sleep and then transfer him to his crib. He would get 30 minutes on one boob, then a burp and a swaddle and singing of twinkle twinkle, then switch to the other boob until he pulled himself off and was in a deep slumber. This was a big problem since he never learned to put himself to sleep. The other issue I believe, is that we were still swaddling him - so it was hard for him to self-soothe using his hands should he so desire. And of course at this point, he should know how to do all those things, plus he no longer requires a nighttime feeding.<br /><br />So - for some reason this week became sleep-training week!<br /><br />To be continued....SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-43760659027940264222009-08-10T10:34:00.001-04:002009-08-10T10:34:35.236-04:00Breastfeeding on Sesame StreetHow amazing is this! We've reverted in acceptance of public breastfeeding for some reason. I don't think this would EVER get on Sesame Street today! Weird, right? Anyway - I should have posted this last week, as it was World Breastfeeding Week, so a little late - but in honor of that, here's an amazing video from Sesame Street in 1977.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g3DWRhfNm4c&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g3DWRhfNm4c&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-43180122663054980662009-08-01T15:04:00.002-04:002009-08-01T15:25:05.102-04:00executive decision<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduuqSi8vDXMS6cLtkJ_bhip6KWYuav3Y1WxzW-X6Eb3cVPSxWBsjLWgx5iatoNSd8WWQUJDpp5EMSuzCBaFlhSuy-anMLzgn42MayPQkyfwrA9_rcT_4JPFr9Hmy273RIbJYk1VigoM_P/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduuqSi8vDXMS6cLtkJ_bhip6KWYuav3Y1WxzW-X6Eb3cVPSxWBsjLWgx5iatoNSd8WWQUJDpp5EMSuzCBaFlhSuy-anMLzgn42MayPQkyfwrA9_rcT_4JPFr9Hmy273RIbJYk1VigoM_P/s200/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365076148703430226" border="0" /></a>For the past few months, I have been setting an alarm and getting up to pump in he middle of the night. This was not a problem when Angus was sleeping 10 hours straight, as I would go to bed at 10, wake up around 1 or 2 to pump and go back to bed and still get 3 hours of sleep. Unfortunately for about a month + he has been waking up anywhere between 1 and 4. Most days it seems that I get up to pump, and he either wakes up while I'm still pumping, or a short time after I go back to bed. I'm exhausted. It's really catching up with me. I have made an executive decision to not set an alarm to do this while he's not sleeping through the night. I will probably start again once he starts sleeping better, but right now it's not worth the sleep loss. So... I'm going to stop torturing myself!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-20009348269680633772009-07-22T03:03:00.003-04:002009-07-22T03:47:53.622-04:00so insaneWOW. I haven't posted in ages. Does adding my twitter stuff count? Well, it's been a bit nutty. We had a little New Jersey shore beach vacation, and my mom has been in town. Hopefully things will start to improve! Oh yeah, and Angus is still waking up every night (knock on wood as I say this - it's 3am, I am pumping and he is still asleep!). I've been very tired and it's been hard to focus on life, let alone blogging!<br /><br />Anyway - let me try to catch you up.<br /><br />Angus: I don't know if it's a growth spurt (he'll be 6 months very soon), or if it's his teeth (has bottom 2, maybe more are coming?) , or if he's just hungry (he is very distracted during his feedings). Whatever it is, I hope it stops! Last night I put him down and he woke up within that hour and then again within the next hour, then at 2am and then I gave up and brought him to bed with me and just let him nurse. I don't mind the "co-sleeping" but sometimes I get scared and worry that he's going to get smothered or something. I try to remain mostly awake and aware of where he is and position any sheets or blankets away from him, but there's always that part of me that worries - but I guess that's good. I am being careful!<br /><br />Beach: The New Jersey shore is no place for a baby. Actually it was fine...maybe it's no place for a husband! Actually Angus is just way to little for the beach. He needs to be held all the time since we didn't really have anywhere for him to sit and it was windy, so any flat surfaces were very sandy, and I just didn't want to deal with that. (SIDE NOTE - HE'S WAKING UP! I HEAR CRYING!!! OH CRAP). I have to end this here!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-30339788585689275902009-07-12T03:07:00.004-04:002009-07-12T03:19:55.440-04:00so many changes, mostly good.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaK0bRb9knmo7YbkJnwKwo7gpg1Tmw_kCp8-yJrHRMn8lAoOnZinz8crn4nudFsXxg6L24wQAG3f3lFFBngoV81WBH3kMfmwNPpYILHskADuiF289TPANVZvgjIYHFkOYNI5yYdDEbU6l/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaK0bRb9knmo7YbkJnwKwo7gpg1Tmw_kCp8-yJrHRMn8lAoOnZinz8crn4nudFsXxg6L24wQAG3f3lFFBngoV81WBH3kMfmwNPpYILHskADuiF289TPANVZvgjIYHFkOYNI5yYdDEbU6l/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357469740492140194" border="0" /></a>Angus has realy changed so much in the last few weeks. To start, his tooth has a brother! He now has his bottom two teeth! He also really loves being on his tummy and trying to crawl - scooting I think they call it. He can mostly hold his own bottle. He has a crazy squack that he has figured out how to do. He has new things that make him giggle. He's almost 6 months old!<br /><br />The one change I don't like, is that for a week now he's been waking up at 2 or 3am. Nothing manages to console him other than my boob. I don't know if he's teething again and waking because he's uncomfortable. I don't know if he's just having a growth spurt. I don't know if he's hungry and ready for solid food. I just don't know! What I do know, is that I'm tired. We got so spoiled with many months of him sleeping 8-10 hours straight. I even felt bad when people said "oh you must be so exhausted" because I wasn't! About a month ago I decided that I really needed to get up in the middle of the night to pump. It was crucial to my supply. I've been trying to do this for the past week, but his waking up has really screwed that up. So now, it's 3:15...he got up around 1:45, and I just got him back down, and now I'm pumping the breast he didn't eat from. Thank god it's the weekend, but still - I really hopw this is just a phase that will end soon!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-14457989176036209812009-06-29T02:10:00.004-04:002009-07-06T02:48:17.936-04:00city baby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuDsZYwZofANf6AavorWHCXPK518vxTz_MaugFmNv9Lg04ArOBqhOJLZk8_EZ-glrSexYNMNvrJe8W6jCM1ZPHUv1j0XpsKt3eBUK6TnjYIvTqLle2-OVqPcWr6bZkdkgnZTOt78nAXX-/s1600-h/headphones.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuDsZYwZofANf6AavorWHCXPK518vxTz_MaugFmNv9Lg04ArOBqhOJLZk8_EZ-glrSexYNMNvrJe8W6jCM1ZPHUv1j0XpsKt3eBUK6TnjYIvTqLle2-OVqPcWr6bZkdkgnZTOt78nAXX-/s200/headphones.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355235324507849794" border="0" /></a>I think one of the best things about NYC is the subway. It takes you just about anywhere you want to go. I won't get into the fare hikes and the potentially corrupt system of management, but the subway here is a necessity. HOWEVER - there is not much worse than riding the subway with a screaming baby.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE56234N20090703">Turns out, the subway is LOUD</a>. I mean, I knew that, but imagine what it must be like to the little sensitive new ears of a baby! Angus slept his first few times on the subway, but as of late he has chosen to scream instead. I had purchased some <a href="http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/product/Peltor-Kid-Earmuffs.html">baby ear protectors</a>, since I work in the music business and I figured it wouldn't be long before I took him to his <a href="http://www.last.fm/event/1057869">first show</a>. These seem to be the protector brand of celebrity babies, so I figured if they were good enough for <a href="http://www.menstuff.org/logos/peltorkid.jpg">Gwyneth Paltrow's babies</a> they are good enough for mine (not that Coldplay is "loud" haha). Instead of being used at a concert, they had their initial run on the subway - and they were magic! Angus didn't cry and seemed somewhat oblivious to what was going on. We were very relieved since daily life in NYC revolves around the subway - although he probably won't be going on it more than once a week, it's a relief that we have found a way to do it that doesn't upset him. Now if someone can just sell us a bubble to put around him to stop strangers from touching him!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-65592777984596717412009-06-27T07:17:00.003-04:002009-06-27T07:28:29.968-04:005 months!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCH8-j2OeOwVpMQQgJ4bm9L3Um3eDwd7rvwyOUCat4LzawU1rQM7K6cBosMwDJ9IN2W0XD_FJZP9wKmlxnda313igBIId-H5sPq7YKZy7-TqGYT_NYbTkKl2sf6yHSTjIZxzKG6sd9M2fd/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCH8-j2OeOwVpMQQgJ4bm9L3Um3eDwd7rvwyOUCat4LzawU1rQM7K6cBosMwDJ9IN2W0XD_FJZP9wKmlxnda313igBIId-H5sPq7YKZy7-TqGYT_NYbTkKl2sf6yHSTjIZxzKG6sd9M2fd/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351967770250266930" border="0" /></a>Wow - I am really slacking at posting. I promise I will get better. I am starting to be in more of a routine, as is Angus, and I will be able to add a consistent time in for blogging.<br /><br />Angus is 5 months old today! I can't believe how fast it's all going. In 1 month he'll be half a year, and that sounds crazy to me. I met a 7 month old the other day and he was just sitting on the floor, reaching into a toy box and playing with toys...amusing himself and leaning forward on his arms and rocking back and forth on his knees thinking about crawling. Angus has a ways to go before that happens, but he really only seems interested in rolling from his back to his tummy and lifting his head up and stretching his arms out.<br /><br />It's so crazy to me how babies work. We get emails every month from babycenter.com about his development, and they're spot on. It will be fun when he can sit up without falling over. It will be insane when he crawls. It will be funny when he eats real food. We can't WAIT for all these so-called milestones, but there's also some part of us that will miss his baby-ness very much. Right now, we're the boss of him, but soon enough he's going to be telling us what he wants to do and where he wants to go and when. It will be so much fun, and so tiring. I'm sure that's when we'll say "remember when he was a baby and we could put him in his stroller and take him wherever we wanted to go? And make him do whatever we wanted to do?"SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-61800137174388018572009-06-21T20:24:00.004-04:002009-06-21T20:30:30.357-04:00father's day tooth!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYEeHcT44hDrl8MobQ0irHhbYhbSz7NmA3tW0aknfj9Yb-D3Jys2xvfl_k13eqlpkB-4N17BN8Yybf3zaVdCwF5tidOD_5IkgtZmYRBvlI_apQzo7hBwS3DNcUzzGRC21jeZnZw9hPsyn/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYEeHcT44hDrl8MobQ0irHhbYhbSz7NmA3tW0aknfj9Yb-D3Jys2xvfl_k13eqlpkB-4N17BN8Yybf3zaVdCwF5tidOD_5IkgtZmYRBvlI_apQzo7hBwS3DNcUzzGRC21jeZnZw9hPsyn/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349942746668975618" border="0" /></a>Johnny was away for a few days and came home on father's day eve. The day before, I found a very exciting surprise in Angus' mouth....a TOOTH! His bottom left tooth is in. SO awesome! All the drooling and hand eating finally rewards us with a cute little chomper! I did my very best secret holding in and manager to not tell Johnny, and instead, I wrote out Angus' father's day card with a note to say he could find his present in his mouth. He didn't get it at first, and I pretty much had to tell him. It was quite a surprise! It came in without much fanfare - I didn't notice too much crankiness, but then again he was with sitters all week, but none of them reported any extra fussiness. I hope the rest of them come in that smoothly!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-76331904745670519542009-06-14T02:34:00.010-04:002009-06-14T22:15:00.087-04:00these are a few of my favorite things - breastfeeding edition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsovRbl6mT1_xH9MaLbvzkE1PCXLrghtH4t_atVvdobQPSIbCudLAoH78WXXob9ezd5tbKcdpgIMelaV_ybHJdm8eNg30IChWqBHt7AwVAYYrWOVZUnyRKWVARnLjTx8we3RIg7DYlenA/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsovRbl6mT1_xH9MaLbvzkE1PCXLrghtH4t_atVvdobQPSIbCudLAoH78WXXob9ezd5tbKcdpgIMelaV_ybHJdm8eNg30IChWqBHt7AwVAYYrWOVZUnyRKWVARnLjTx8we3RIg7DYlenA/s200/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347070826739671570" border="0" /></a>There are some things I have that I really couldn't live without that I thought I would share...ok - I could live without them, but they sure are making my life easier right now!<br /><br />1) <a href="http://www.pumpinpal.com/">Pumpin' pal super shields</a><br />These things are so great because they allow you to lean back and relax while pumping and not worry about the milk going into the bottle. Very smart idea<br /><br />2) <a href="http://www.llliclothes.com/Bras/Nursing-Bras/Pull-Over-Sleep-Bra.html">La Leche League pull-over sleep bra</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SFwJ2lb-tx1ddoNuGIWomZlaevPOx42M7QysO6uCYWnq3BHAcURPd31g3jXBePL_9VDigz-NiDGl3GmrhEatDOfJCIeShEKW_CJ8GkSNQIJvlZia-IDaCadyZpK2F2KV5jsfKiPuQUx6/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SFwJ2lb-tx1ddoNuGIWomZlaevPOx42M7QysO6uCYWnq3BHAcURPd31g3jXBePL_9VDigz-NiDGl3GmrhEatDOfJCIeShEKW_CJ8GkSNQIJvlZia-IDaCadyZpK2F2KV5jsfKiPuQUx6/s200/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347071325895389026" border="0" /></a>I've already worn one of these out, and I just bought 2 more. They are cheap, comfy and easy to nurse with and comfy to sleep in with just enough support.<br /><br />3) <a href="http://www.easyexpressionproducts.com/">pumping bra</a><br />Being hands-free allows to me to do things like write this blog (which I am doingnow while pumping), eat, read magazines etc). This particular version works well for me, although it looks insane.<br /><br />4) <a href="http://www.motherlove.com/product_more_milk_special.php">More Milk Special Blend</a><br />This tincture has really helped me with my milk production. It tastes horrible, but it works. They have different blends for different <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaj-gIjU1n9_zSMluRKSEi6QZODWURAQ8XODVBDm_1-WPQgTV9zVnCOCAss4erQijU5chdBKQqdyJzgCG6Hk47pcXO2MSz1VNMy1SKElMIJNz_Tyfg0Gud67ZZMk0LBnjA2_v0N8qbpIUm/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaj-gIjU1n9_zSMluRKSEi6QZODWURAQ8XODVBDm_1-WPQgTV9zVnCOCAss4erQijU5chdBKQqdyJzgCG6Hk47pcXO2MSz1VNMy1SKElMIJNz_Tyfg0Gud67ZZMk0LBnjA2_v0N8qbpIUm/s200/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347071772994886082" border="0" /></a>women's needs and I am a believer.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKhSlftfRr-5PvMgCAKxH50HG1mrzGGe4sgb95LjicGlUvEkJVTlPbEwgc7jU91fT6aNmb-256Fm3H3Q-il5tXzGq_vAGgHDgdz8bQOlKa4o3APF28ZIc42WA0ycJJ1j1TfCNiDb8JSDl/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKhSlftfRr-5PvMgCAKxH50HG1mrzGGe4sgb95LjicGlUvEkJVTlPbEwgc7jU91fT6aNmb-256Fm3H3Q-il5tXzGq_vAGgHDgdz8bQOlKa4o3APF28ZIc42WA0ycJJ1j1TfCNiDb8JSDl/s200/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347372001255649378" border="0" /></a><br /><br />5) My Brest friend<br />I originally thought this thing was dumb, but then a lactation consultant showed me how to use it, and I rarely nurse without it. It keeps Angus <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGeK55dPsdnLgkArZda59JwVPzM7h2wTqwmsDIL7mA5zPWL2-X26RgDsITAx8061DDdcvYhG9awA1Z2OzAocz__QHFb4SzCCBHDC0g3oSIZ753arlM9fk3zSy7g5X4E8yttaLwS6vWI9gX/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGeK55dPsdnLgkArZda59JwVPzM7h2wTqwmsDIL7mA5zPWL2-X26RgDsITAx8061DDdcvYhG9awA1Z2OzAocz__QHFb4SzCCBHDC0g3oSIZ753arlM9fk3zSy7g5X4E8yttaLwS6vWI9gX/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347371720371691938" border="0" /></a>supported and it keeps me sane. My husband calls it my lunch tray.SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-7231543696076932862009-06-11T20:26:00.003-04:002009-06-11T21:37:36.919-04:00time flies!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1rHAs3PNvU3m8IRz4OVNIyHBxgQsdxJ3fP1CBo-NuhBIzNthOKLNAvxcrGzlbUxL4CHiD_bWJVihXS01Acx2JYSljg8gyeF-oGZPxIBzY5b0qf7SVoqr1EykE3kDyUR4LreQxflhppYO/s1600-h/IMG_7107.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1rHAs3PNvU3m8IRz4OVNIyHBxgQsdxJ3fP1CBo-NuhBIzNthOKLNAvxcrGzlbUxL4CHiD_bWJVihXS01Acx2JYSljg8gyeF-oGZPxIBzY5b0qf7SVoqr1EykE3kDyUR4LreQxflhppYO/s200/IMG_7107.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346249223617381106" border="0" /></a>Time is flying by SO fast. The days fly by, and the weekends do the same. I am finding it hard to find time to blog, let alone do things like pay my bills or put stuff away! I get up with Angus at 5:30 or 6:30, and he eats and we snuggle until 8am, and then he's in the care of a babysitter or my husband while I get ready for work and then leave at 8:45. It's hard to leave him, especially since I don't get home until close to 7, and that's with leaving work 30 minutes early! I don't want to think about it too much or it will make me cry. When I get home, he gets his pj's on and I start feeding him. Halfway through his feeding he gets burped and swaddled, and then eat some more and is put to be usually around 8pm. I get about 2 hours in the morning and about 1.5 hours at night. 3.5 hours a day, 17.5 hours a week. That is awful when you think about it. Why should a babysitter get to spend more time than me with my son? Now I'm thinking about it too much. Oops. I really hope that some day I can be a stay-at-home mom, but in the meantime I need my job, and I need my health insurance, so I don't have the option of staying home. If the economy was better maybe I would have quit and then found another job down the line, but it's just not possible these days. It's hard every day, but I am getting used to it. I don't know if it will ever get "better", but as he gets older I think he'll be a little less needy and easier for sitters to deal with. Right now he needs 100% full-time attention, and I worry that a babysitter will get bored and frustrated and he will just cry and be upset and whoops...there goes my brain thinking the worst. He's 4.5 months old now and just so damn cute. I want the people that look after him to be the best that they can be and I really hope that's what they are being!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-87739957596959563042009-06-02T03:02:00.003-04:002009-06-02T03:09:33.303-04:00efficiency<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewetGf1EmEsfU_meKRZ07wetdO-v5XKrbphyiQJ47bwh2U7_KGpEopMMQuhUHwFpFVQwMJdtiw4ur8QTDGF13Ozo9zWSYBqSUhUmJt5dNrqJl9Ajzz_RkhJmO8fp4qqibx6ow8WeFbBTP/s1600-h/alarm-clock-400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewetGf1EmEsfU_meKRZ07wetdO-v5XKrbphyiQJ47bwh2U7_KGpEopMMQuhUHwFpFVQwMJdtiw4ur8QTDGF13Ozo9zWSYBqSUhUmJt5dNrqJl9Ajzz_RkhJmO8fp4qqibx6ow8WeFbBTP/s200/alarm-clock-400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342623880383987154" border="0" /></a>I've been doing a TON of research on pumping and Angus's eating. Thing is, the kid normally takes about an hour to eat. I think that's too long - I mean some babies take that long, and I don't really mind, but I think if he becomes a more efficient eater, I will become a more efficient pumper. What I am now doing, is going back to the method of switching sides. I stopped doing that a while ago when I thought he was having a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance (which he wasn't) and kept doing that. Now I am switching and it's helped a bit. It's only been a couple of days, but I think he's down to 40/45 minutes. I think it's helping me make more milk too. It makes sense, right? I had a day or 2 of soreness, so something is working! I've also learned that I need to do breast impressions, which had indeed helped. I've also been taking fenugreek, but I've now switched to something called more milk plus. Yuck. It tastes like medicine. Either way, I have noticed an improvement aready. I'm still now where I'd like to be in terms of output, but 2 letdowns is actually a good thing! I'm also setting an alarm and getting up to pump, which is what I am doing now at 3am - yikes! Sadly this is really affecting my mornings. I am feeling SO much more tired. I hope my body gets used to it. I'm fine when I get to work, but when Angus wakes up at 5:30 or 6:30 I feel like quite a zombie! Here's to adjusting!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-13912174017153466742009-05-28T05:33:00.003-04:002009-05-28T05:47:28.505-04:00back at work :(<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qYibzfI9PSA39l5vJ0R8dmK4407OhiFXsnD-eWQa9JLxwwq8jkswFzB-Ukg_jEO4C_TKnNRuy9enHdexbFKvKmv8NQZY4RGsJVlEfgQLuXTXytdDX9fDofldRg6QlKZ8FivIPGo4D3Xl/s1600-h/dd173.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qYibzfI9PSA39l5vJ0R8dmK4407OhiFXsnD-eWQa9JLxwwq8jkswFzB-Ukg_jEO4C_TKnNRuy9enHdexbFKvKmv8NQZY4RGsJVlEfgQLuXTXytdDX9fDofldRg6QlKZ8FivIPGo4D3Xl/s200/dd173.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340809111476085426" border="0" /></a>I am back at work now - day three. It seems like 4 months just flew by. My emotional state is ok during the day, but when I get home I get super sad. It really sucks that if I'm lucky I get 3 hours a day with him, and much of that time is spend by him nursing. I am trying to arrange leaving work 30 minutes early so I can leave at 6, which will help us stick to getting him to bed at 8pm.<br /><br />I am pumping during the day and that REALLY stinks. I'm just not getting much out of the pump. Day 2 was better than day 1, ie: more milk, but it's still not enough....plus I need to pump 4 times a day, 5 would be awesome - and for a 20 minute session each time + set up, it's nearly 2 hours out of my day. I feel guilty about that - which I need to get over. It's just a lot of time when I am trying to catch up on work and get up to speed. I really hope I get more mik soon. I bought fenugreek drops and mother's milk tea, so hopefully I will see a result from that. Thing is, I only have 2 letdowns during a 20 minute session...and my son normally breastfeeds for an hour! I feel like I might need to call a lactation consultant to try to gt him to eat more efficiently before I will pump more efficiently, but who knows. Either way, I'm trying not to stress about it since that would cause me to make even less milk! Any tips?SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-69788467340581932222009-05-20T18:18:00.001-04:002009-05-20T18:20:14.653-04:00clothing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.babywit.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bN9yR5bJgcB30l_JtdzCeyQ_orngNx0B9WfUSonUIO49pFoeaIivddvMFSZ0By4QVbiWMSZdYFt4QzFFPNmFFt-r8rnBK4FSVwU3AnjG1UYS4yfzDUh_55ULBApAHZuUKw6kClCVSVCp/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338034355605764626" border="0" /></a>Angus has an unbelievable amount of clothing. His paternal grandmother is a shopping addict, and every time we see her, he gets 4 or 5 new outfits! Most are cute but some are not so cute. We usually manage to tell her when something isn't to our liking and she returns it - but I feel a little guilty so I let my husband do it. I will have to get over that. I think she has a closet full of clothes for him that she spreads out each time we go. He's a lucky little guy. If only <a href="http://www.babywit.com/">Babywit</a> had a store in Long Island that she could shop at!<br /><br />Speaking of clothing, I need more. My body is a mess from being pregnant and I didn't buy any new clothes last year really, other than some maternity ones so I am severely lacking. I ordered some nice stuff from Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic, but my favorite items come from <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/">Boden</a>. Their stuff is lovely! Hopefully I will manage to look half decent when I go back to work next week. Hopefully I will be able to get away during the day to run to get some pants, as I am severly lacking in those. I don't know how I'm going to fix my body though. My balance is off and I have weight to lose...especially around my gut. That was the case even before I got pregnant, and much more so now. I'm actually not that far off from my pre-pregnancy weight, and hopefully when I get back to work and closer to things like salads, it will help. I think I would have a much better summer if I was happy about how my body looked. Bikini here I come - NOT!!!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-83708138750585482572009-05-17T03:45:00.002-04:002009-05-17T03:53:07.930-04:00back to work soon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sgwJ4CEprgJ9fZdGErPQftF6NcIV4LFAICEHMDuLfzM-ZSsBTVkYNcEHHhxDgG0GAao-_kidvpHcDkQX8-XgX0FSq9HJhzVBE33CBqed_uTw0dFp3SEY-2Bdq26DQW6Kkr4tQbWF9BA0/s1600-h/amusing_breastfeeding_icons_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sgwJ4CEprgJ9fZdGErPQftF6NcIV4LFAICEHMDuLfzM-ZSsBTVkYNcEHHhxDgG0GAao-_kidvpHcDkQX8-XgX0FSq9HJhzVBE33CBqed_uTw0dFp3SEY-2Bdq26DQW6Kkr4tQbWF9BA0/s200/amusing_breastfeeding_icons_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336697641311362242" border="0" /></a>I go back to work soon...after Memorial Day. I'm pretty bummed about it, but there is no avoiding it. I already scored an extra month off, so I feel lucky that I've had 4 months. Although in Canada, they get a year. In fact in many other countries they get a ton more time. Our system is son antiquated. Oh well. I have been pumping to try to get a stockpile of milk in the freezer, and every couple of days I can freeze some. Only every couple of days because I keep using it! Whenever I go out with him for an extended period of time, I bring along milk "just to be safe", and he usually wants it. I feel like I might need to check in with a lactaction consultant soon. He still takes about an hour to eat, and it seems like he wants to eat every 2 hours or so....sometimes 3, and I'm talking about the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next, so sometimes that's only an hour in between. Hmmm. I hope I'm not having a milk issue. I don't think I am since when I pump early am, I can often get 3-4 oz from the one breast that he didn't feed on. I wish it was more though. I'm a little nervous about what will happen when I am back at work and I hope I can get enough with pumping. I'd like to ideally pump what he needs the next day if not more. I am going to do my best to enjoy the next 9 days since I can't imagine how sad I'm going to be when it's over. I know I have his whole lifetime ahead of me, but he's just so tiny!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-38160915388268888032009-05-10T11:50:00.002-04:002009-05-10T11:51:41.385-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXiCAWxUFeQspdUrb8HAaNjdiCKzIRjNei8Vxj_uqjQ5GmL2MbO1-O8RKKA50XSDGK7iVZRw6YByf9_7aDAIiCs3cN_PnFJtFreXLDAXwM86p0rjznULNBHfqPf0CY71g2T_THq_DwHyG/s1600-h/IMG_7000.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXiCAWxUFeQspdUrb8HAaNjdiCKzIRjNei8Vxj_uqjQ5GmL2MbO1-O8RKKA50XSDGK7iVZRw6YByf9_7aDAIiCs3cN_PnFJtFreXLDAXwM86p0rjznULNBHfqPf0CY71g2T_THq_DwHyG/s200/IMG_7000.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334223387256715602" border="0" /></a>Angus is now 3 months old...well, 3.5 months actually, and damn....this kid grows like a weed! I swear his head got bigger overnight, and it literally did. There's a spot behind his ears where I can see that skin has stretched and old skin has peeled to make room for growing skin underneath. So crazy. In the last couple of weeks he has discovered his new favorite toy (his feet) and he is figuring out his laugh a little more. He's been laughing for a few weeks, but it's getting easier to make him do it, and he has less occurrences of the hiccups, which would always happen after a good chuckle. He seems to be eating less - well, more time in-between feedings, and he's only pooping once or twice a day now. He also slept for 10 hours straight last night! I am a lucky gal. It's Mother's Day today and my wish was that my husband take care of his usual 2nd wakeup - the one around 6am, but this morning he slept right through his first wakeup usually around 4am and went straight through to 6:30 or so! Johnny took care of that one, and I got up to pump anyway, and went back to bed for a couple of luxurious hours.<br /><br />I go back to work in a couple of weeks and I am working hard on being ok with it. I think it will be hard for the first few weeks and get easier after a while, but then I bet it will be harder again. If he was 2 it would be ok, because then he would be in daycare and I would feel better about his days without me. In the meantime I have a few lovely ladies that will look after him when Johnny is at work and ideally it will all be hunky-dory. For now though, I will enjoy these last couple of weeks of quality time with my adorable little man.SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-86337191976287854022009-05-08T06:30:00.002-04:002009-05-08T06:31:38.130-04:00water + poop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b_6YiZX11_30VYARstfnhiR9MG2HpXHwhq-JMwuYUeZROyIbUeagm7YaPm3VO6hy0Pz44XBE8hmtqCQIbkPIjriupm7mcic7oK9U94WAhFRGRM6faSo5xvk4FgdkHFNnSl4v7xlr19Ii/s1600-h/bottled-baby-poop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b_6YiZX11_30VYARstfnhiR9MG2HpXHwhq-JMwuYUeZROyIbUeagm7YaPm3VO6hy0Pz44XBE8hmtqCQIbkPIjriupm7mcic7oK9U94WAhFRGRM6faSo5xvk4FgdkHFNnSl4v7xlr19Ii/s200/bottled-baby-poop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333398773994079202" border="0" /></a>I can't seem to get enough water. I am consistently constipated (TMI, sorry) no matter how much water I drink. I realized the other day, that I have hardly been eating any fruit either. Right after Angus was born I was eating a lot of berries, but in the last month I maybe ate a few bananas and that's it. Whoops. Hopefully if I add a ton of fruit back into my diet, and continue drinking as much water as possible this problem will soon be alleviated. Angus is taking all my water from me and I guess I'm not replacing it or getting enough fiber.<br /><br />Speaking of poop, his was green 4/5 times for about 10 days. It ranged in tones, sometimes dark green, and sometimes bright green like pesto. A few times it even had some streaks of blood in it...VERY scary. Very odd. Doctors said not to worry about either thing (well, to call them if the blood was consistent), but I did my own research and found that the blood may be caused by a lactose intolerance. So, I cut out dairy...bummer...actually it hasn't been too bad at all. I really like almond milk, and surely not eating cheese will help me lose weight! The good news is that his poop is now normal! Coincidence? I think not. I will be sure to mention this at our next appointment!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-40544047645323814522009-05-06T07:27:00.002-04:002009-05-06T07:33:05.324-04:00hot news<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCysLl7lVAYmJRx7WycBPofZkgcHB4vX5k8BQlMdno7vlI-jrxJbkT4qUN6lhHZpdyTmczxNjM8K6mjcj8Bc3LTdHLaicysc1AylE1va1lbYuZMFkgwVTMWg32fq9ApMt2Y6Fwb6oGOMw/s1600-h/newsboy.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCysLl7lVAYmJRx7WycBPofZkgcHB4vX5k8BQlMdno7vlI-jrxJbkT4qUN6lhHZpdyTmczxNjM8K6mjcj8Bc3LTdHLaicysc1AylE1va1lbYuZMFkgwVTMWg32fq9ApMt2Y6Fwb6oGOMw/s200/newsboy.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332672430116077938" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/health/05child.html?ref=health">good news about pacifiers!</a><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Sex/story?id=7500906&page=1">a birth control shot for men?</a><br /><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-090505-delay-pregnancy,0,6644444.story">women putting off pregnancy due to the economy</a>SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-59486992178557646632009-04-29T06:38:00.004-04:002009-04-30T19:14:12.192-04:00my weight<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHV0cQ5K4jF3Y2F4WVVpEjilprpftbUHR3Y6_3dlUN-_HqZnbU0vhcoOTdOdKQw0pmBgEybO2nMw5vMimhL6xXPfn_vBoX9XydRmgGXfvqj_ZYhIrGYVv6QM4dtvdnWtwxLvj4vC5MVFF/s1600-h/animal-scale.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHV0cQ5K4jF3Y2F4WVVpEjilprpftbUHR3Y6_3dlUN-_HqZnbU0vhcoOTdOdKQw0pmBgEybO2nMw5vMimhL6xXPfn_vBoX9XydRmgGXfvqj_ZYhIrGYVv6QM4dtvdnWtwxLvj4vC5MVFF/s200/animal-scale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330062393692405410" border="0" /></a>I have been overweight for years. Not obese, but kinda "chunky" I guess you'd say. A few years ago I lost 30 pounds on weight watchers, and then gained about 15 back, which is where I was pre-pregnancy. During my pregnancy I gained about 35 pounds. Right after I gave birth I lost 25 of that very quickly, and now I need to lose just under 10 to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and then I'd like to lose some more. I was hoping that breast-feeding would take it all way like magic, but that doesn't work if you choose to eat whatever you want, instead of eating normally and healthfully. This last week I made some changes in my diet and am making a conscious effort to make smart choices, and hopefully when I go back to work, I will at least be at my pre-pregnancy weight. Wish me luck!SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984430916898745704.post-74082740369444447322009-04-27T12:10:00.002-04:002009-04-27T12:13:45.913-04:00the cat......<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3cqNSjgQ1i_RYfG1jmSnhw6pnH1sTwklINVURlvUyBDx_QycqejsN0qR4twri83JetWj7SsgJyJDwP5Yh_JAOTuYNnFyW3P_nqav8FCr5CNIS_-pmi18hlYpnEpJeE37_07V9LPeJwvj/s1600-h/IMG_6781.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3cqNSjgQ1i_RYfG1jmSnhw6pnH1sTwklINVURlvUyBDx_QycqejsN0qR4twri83JetWj7SsgJyJDwP5Yh_JAOTuYNnFyW3P_nqav8FCr5CNIS_-pmi18hlYpnEpJeE37_07V9LPeJwvj/s200/IMG_6781.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329405017629468482" border="0" /></a>I love my cat, I really do. Slash is the best, most snuggly and lovable thing ever. About a month before Angus was born, we lost Slash's brother to a whole bunch of illnesses we didn't even know he had. After that Slash seemed ok, save for a few days of looking around. Now he's taken to meowing very loudly at inopportune moments, like as soon as I put Angus down for example. At first we realized he was meowing and wide awake around 5/6 am, as that was when the sun came up and he and his brother would play. No when he does it, sadly there is no one to play with. He then comes in our room and stands near the crib and howls. It's very annoying and wakes me up, and wakes my husband up but only woke Angus up once from a daytime nap he may have been waking up from anyway. We're not sure what to do about this and our normal "stop it" noises don't work. We're trying to give him extra love and attention, but that doesn't work. He does sleep all day. which leads to much of his night restlessness I'm sure, so am I to try to wake him up from naps during the day? He's a cat! He'll go right back to sleep! We can't not let him in the room either, because then he would howl and scratch at the door, which would be even louder. Anyway - We love him, but MAN....he's walking a thin line! Poor guy.SNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04498814766523257544noreply@blogger.com0