Watching My Own Surgery

I am excited to say that last week we welcomed Green Bean to our little family. He is wonderfully fantastic. So adorable and I just love the softness of baby skin. Babies are so precious.

The delivery was a scheduled c-section. So, we walked into the hospital at 6 am in the morning and had my little Green Bean by 7:30 am. So quick.

We went in, got me all hooked up to everything (I HATE IV's-they pull), and signed my life away with consent forms. Then another woman came in that was scheduled later, but was laboring really hard. My nurse didn't want me to have to wait until that evening to have my baby so she was really pushing that I go NOW. So, we rushed in before the other lady got all hooked up to everything.

I walked into the Operating Room. That was weird. I climbed up onto the table and then they finished hooking me to everything. Then Anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted to watch. I was surprised, last time I didn't have the option. (they didn't have a mirror) But this time I could watch everything. I definitely chose to watch. I got to see it ALL. The incision, the yanking and pulling, my Green Bean being pulled out, the tying of my tubes, and the stitching up of my belly. It was awesome. I would highly recommend watching. I also think that I didn't get motion sickness because I was watching this time. So much better. I'm so glad that I got to see it.

Anyone else every seen their delivery? Did you like it?

Embellished Baby Burp Cloths

I have been trying to get through some of my never ending scraps and thought that embellishing some burp rags would be cute for my Green Bean when he gets here. Here are a couple that I did:


Easy-peasy and now they aren't boring.

You Know You Have Stopped Breast Feeding/Pumping When. . .

• your appetite is cut in half
• you spend less time at the sink washing dishes
• you have more time to play with your little one
• your husband is happier (he doesn't have to wash the pump anymore)
• you don't count the hours from your last pump anymore
• your bra fits again
• you wonder how long the leaking lasts
• there is just more joy in the home

Hallelujah!!

Make It Known

I had my first appointment with the Doctor this week. This means we did an ultra sound to find out exactly how far along the baby is measuring. I am measuring 13 weeks. One week less than I thought that I was going to be. (my doc informed me that sperm can hang out for a week. they were just chillin')

Anyway, while the goop was being smeared across my belly with the cold little wand thing, my little babe decided to do some flips. My Sweet wonderful doctor asks,

"Do you want to know what you are having?"

Me: "YES."

Doc: "We usually can't tell by now, but I'm pretty sure this is a boy."

Me: "Are you sure?"

Doc: "We will make sure at your big ultra sound. . . (baby flips over again). . OH. . . HAHHAHAHA. Yup definitely a BOY!"

Apparently my little Green Bean wanted to make himself known. We caught a picture and I got to come home and tell my Hubby he was getting a boy. It was a shock. We both thought we were going to have another girl. But we are excited.

It's A New Year!

It's a new year, I know. Usually I'm already 3 weeks into my new exercise program, eating healthier, and clearing out all of my clutter. I was doing well with the clutter for a couple of weeks, but have since fallen off the wagon.

Can someone give me a lift back on?

It's a different world with a little one around the house. Time available to do things has completely been shifted. I feel like everything revolves around food.

Get up
Feed Sweet Pea
Pump (yes, still pumping= death)
Give Sweet Pea a snack
Feed Mama
Play
Lunch for Sweet Pea.
Lunch for Mama
Pump
Bottle for Sweet Pea
Naptime
Play
Dinner for Sweet Pea
Pump
Dinner for Mama and Hubby
Play
Bath time for Sweet Pea
Bottle

Will it ever go away? Monotony of Motherhood. Fantastic.

Doing It Over Again

If you were able to start all over from the beginning with your kids as babies, what would you do differently?

What do you wish you had known from the beginning?

How would you have handled things differently?

Two Questions:

#1: When did you start skipping one of your kids naps?

My little Sweet Pea hasn't been so sweet lately. She is a fighter. She does NOT want to go down for her naps at all. She screams and yells, kicks and flails, and sometimes is all ends in her throwing up all over the place. So frustrating. Do I skip the morning nap at 10 months? Or do I continue to fight with her? When did your kids start skipping naps?

#2: What do you do for your younger kids in the car on long trips?

We are taking the 11 hour jaunt to Californ-i-a this Christmas and I need a few ideas for keeping a 10 month old busy. Now that she isn't so much of a sleeper I don't know what to do with her. Help.

Stuffed Animal Break Down

It's been a long week and it's only Wednesday. We found a place to live. Halleluia! So, we are moving. Saturday. I am frantically packing.

Monday, while I was packing, Sweet Pea was on the other side of the room playing with some of her toys. So, I decided to pack up her stuffed animals. I put them in the box and started to close it when I hear her scream. She crawls as fast as her little hands and knees will carry her to where I am; crying the whole way. She bangs on the box and wont stop until I open the box. When the box was open, she pulled a couple of the stuffed animals out, hugged and kissed them, and then went back to her playing. Who knew a 9 month old would be so attached to her little friends already?

Changing the Sleep Pattern

I will make a change! Sweet Pea WILL make the change as well.

There is much needed sleep at night and we are just not getting enough of it. Sweet Pea is awaking consistently between 12 &1 and then again between 3 & 5. This is no good when my Hubby has an hour commute to work and I have to take care of her throughout the day. I've been told there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully I'll find it by doing these things:

• letting her cry for a minimum of 5 minutes before I go to her
• not picking her up; just rubbing her back
• moving her to the far side of the room (Yes, she is in our room still. This is because we are in what I call our Glorified Studio Apartment)

What kind of things did you do when your kids were 7 months and waking throughout the night?

More Flowers

These were so easy to make. I want to do more. I think I'm going to use more "bling" in the centers next time.

The pink and purple ones are my favorite.

This blue one is HUGE. I might have to wait for a while before I put it on Sweet Pea. It's bigger than her head.

I do really like this dark maroon one as well.

Flowers for Sweet Pea's Hair

Clippies



Buttons/Bling


Silk Flowers


Last week, I spent a blissful morning that my Sweet Pea slept in for, putting together beautiful flowers for her headbands. They were so simple. I had no idea they would be so easy. I think I'm going to have to do more.

I didn't have time to get good pictures of them all. Here are just a few. I will post the others later, in better light.





I have so many I don't know what to do with them all.

Camping With Children

Has anyone out there gone on an extended camping trip with one or more babies under the age of one?

We are going camping with my little Sweet Pea and I just wanted to know if there was anything I NEEDED to know?

Or if there was anything I just SHOULD NOT forget?

Okay Okay

The advice was wonderful. Thank you.

I haven't been posting very much, but in my head I think I am. So, let me update everyone so you know exactly what is up. . .

Sweet Pea is drinking wonderfully out of her bottle. (I have only been bottle feeding her. It's all I can do. She causes sores.) She HATEs (I don't use this word lightly), HATES the smell/taste of the formula. She purses her lips together and wont let the bottle in. My Hubby tried to give her 1/2 alimentum and 1/2 breast milk. They fought for 15 minutes. Then he gave her breast milk. I think all I can do is pump and feed her that. Now I just have to tell myself that for the next 7 months I have to pump. (Maybe if I don't tell myself then it wont really be true?)

I have been feeding Sweet Pea Rice Cereal for 4 weeks. Sweet Potatoes for a week. Sweet Peas for 1 day. She LOVES food. (I also do not use this word lightly) LOVES loves LoVeS it!!


I was not eating dairy and it helped to clear up her eczema. However I don't think I can keep this up. I love LOve LoVE Dairy. . . cheese. . . milk. . . ice-cream. . . and everything else that has milk in it. So, I'm just cutting down on how much I take into my system. I've been feeding her for almost 6 months and she's not dying over it. It was just in the last little while that we discovered the allergy. I think she can handle the little traces that get to her when I need a pick-me-up. (maybe it's selfish, but it will keep me sane)

I really did like my first Doc. I still do. I don't think she has a lot of experience with Milk allergies. (Surprising because it seems like a lot of babies have it) The second Doc was really nice. He works with a handful of milk allergies. In the end, I do what I want to anyway.

OH, Sweet Pea is rolling all over the place. She has found her mode of transportation. And she is quick. No leaving her alone anymore. Exciting.

I think that's it. Did I forget anything?

No Dairy

It's been rough, but I've been going without dairy products for almost a week. I didn't really realize what had dairy products in it. Lots more than I would have ever expected.

I have been going without because I believe my little one is allergic to the milk protein. (I think I said that before) Her eczema acts up when I eat milk. When I cut it out, it clears up. Thus, the going without.

She will keep soy milk down, but wont drink more than 1/2 an ounce of it at a time. Then she purses her lips together and wont let the bottle in. I haven't tried the alimentum. I might soon. I just don't want to fight with her when it comes to eating time. I want her to enjoy it.

Any suggestions to getting a 5 month old to take formula. It's like trying to teach an old dog new tricks. She just doesn't want to.

New Doctor Visits

UGH! Going to another Doctor. I really like mine but I just don't think she is trusting me as MOM and I know my little girl. We'll see how this new one is.

I think she is allergic to milk protein. (Mer what you sent me was very helpful) I don't think she has fpies, but I do think she is allergic. We'll keep trying out some different formulas and find out.

Cross your fingers for my new Doctor.

Formula Dilema

I'm just not producing the amount of milk to feed my Sweet Pea as much as she desires now and I've been trying to move to formula. The only problem is that she spends the whole evening throwing up after I try to feed it to her. I think she is allergic to the milk protein. So, I'm going to try lactose free next.

What kinds worked for you?

120 Mile Challenge: Week #2

Another week has come and gone. This week I pounded out 9.31 miles. Almost 10 miles a week, which is what I need to reach my 120 mile goal for the summer.

I'm still going strong with the walking, but the ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer.

Past:

I was a size 10-12 for the first time since my sophomore year in high school. My legs had decided to cooperate with me and begin to slim down for the first time in my life. (this is a genetic trait that I was sure if I worked hard enough it would go away; it started to) I was eating healthy foods, and not really craving anything junky. I was feeling great. Running. Cross training. Lifting. Feeling really good about my body.

Now:

I'm a size 18. The largest I've ever been. My body wants to run, but I walk. It is getting easier to run. I did on Saturday. (part of my walk; only about .5 a mile) I need to lift. My baby is growing faster than my body can keep up. I have to step that up. My legs are flabby cottage cheese. My tummy has a huge tire around it. It's a lob-sided tire. None of my clothes fit. Not even my fat clothes.

Do you really gain 6-8 sizes EVERY time you have a baby?

Can walking really help with weightloss? I would normally be the person who said, "yes, it does. Any extra exercise you can to will help." At this point, it's hard to believe. I need to seriously keep track to see if it really does help.

12.54/120 Miles

Pumping Through The Days

Pumping is CoNSuMinG my life!!

I get up and pump, wash the pump. Eat. Drink. Feed Sweet Pea, play with her, then put her back to sleep. Pump again, wash the pump and any other dishes. Eat. Drink. By the time I finish washing and eating she is up AGAIN. She is only sleeping for an hour. (sometimes more. I wish she would decide so I can fit laundry and cleaning in somewhere) It's all I do. Live, Breathe, Eat, Sleep Pumping........

I feel like I am not pumping enough in each session. Does anyone know how many ounces is "normal"?

It's Going. . .

Got an electric Breast Pump.

So far it works well.

Way faster than a hand pump.

It seems to be going well.

I hope it keeps up.

I had to travel twice to Babies 'R Us because of the pump. The first one didn't have a manual in it. $300 and NO manual. What were they thinking. (until I realized that the manual might have been in the only pocket I didn't see OR check. Oops!)

Money Transformation

It's amazing how a saver can be magically transformed into a spender when you have a child. It's so fun to buy clothes, accessories, and toys for my Sweet Pea. Babies 'R Us loves me.