Kicks and Giggles

Lately Jacob and I have been having issues with nursing.  I think that I am running out of milk.  He tends to be still hungry when he is done, he is nursing for a much shorter amount of time than usual, he doesn’t go for as long between feedings, and he wasn’t gaining weight or having enough wet diapers…all good indicators that he is not getting enough to eat.  So, I’ve decided to give him supplemental formula feedings.  I know he needs it, but it is giving me tremendous issues.  Even when I pumped milk for bottles to bring to church and other places, I always felt like I needed to announce to everybody that it was breastmilk, like people were looking at me holding a bottle and judging me.  “What a horrible mother, she gives her baby formula”.  In reality, the majority of people probably could care less.

Why is it this way?  Why do we as mothers judge ourselves the hardest?  We have enough to occupy our mind and our time without having to add guilt onto it.  Guilt because we give our babies formula, let them watch TV, give them food between meals, let the baby cry it out, rock our babies instead of teaching them to “self-soothe”, didn’t have a natural childbirth, don’t always make sure they have a balanced meal, don’t always keep our houses clean, occasionally do something for ourselves while they are awake, give them a soother or let them suck their thumb, let them so something they aren’t supposed to because we feel all we’ve done that day is scold, lose our patience, keep them up past their bedtimes, or put them to bed way too early, just because we have had enough.

This is incredibly hard for me to get over this, especially with the nursing.  Everywhere you look (parenting related) breastfeeding is hailed as the greatest thing ever created and the lists of benefits are endless.  I do believe that breastfeeding is best and did want to do it for a little longer, but my body is saying no and my baby needs to eat, so their lists just make me feel horrible.  I’m trying to focus on the fact that my kids are happy and healthy so we’re doing ok, but its hard.

Chloe loves to brush her teeth.  She goes to the bathroom, pulls her stool in front of the counter, points at her toothbrush and says “Teese”

Today it is 30 degrees outside.  The forecast for next Wednesday is a high of 2 degrees and a low of -6.  Apparently we are going straight from summer to winter in under a week.  Is there no Happy Medium?  I was so looking forward to fall.

These two are going to break some hearts!

She is too big for her crib.  Every night I hear her hitting the bars and often when I go check on her, I will see her attempting to roll and not being able to as the bar is in her way, so…

I bought her a book “Big Enough for a Bed” and we have been reading it for the past couple days.

Today, I brought my old twin mattress upstairs and made her bed.

At nap time, I had to go put her back in bed 4 times, after which,

 (no flash)

This evening, after her bath, Brian read her a story in her bed

And, without me having to go in once we had,

Hopefully it is just that easy.  I will have to see over the next week or so.

Yep, My three month old son has a ringlet!

This is the Sub that Brian bought

This is the man who unscrewed the back of the sub that Brian bought

These are the toys that the man who unscrewed the back found inside the sub that Brian bought

This is the girl who placed the toys that the man who unscrewed the back found inside the sub that Brian bought

Chloe is sick, so this morning we did the Wal-Mart cold run.  This involves picking up Vitamin C, orange juice, Tylenol, Kleenex, and Baby Vicks.  This time,  I only needed Tylenol, orange juice and vitamin C.  Since infant cough syrup has been pulled from shelves (and I had my doubts about it anyway even before that happened), my cure for colds is lots and lots of vitamin C with baby Vicks and Tylenol to help them sleep.  As of now, Jacob isn’t sick, so I am crossing my fingers and hoping that it doesn’t happen.  If things follow their usual pattern, Brian will be sick tomorrow or Saturday.  Hopefully I won’t get sick at all, since if Jacob gets sick, I will have three sick babies to look after.  (Yes, I included Brian in that, but if you have ever seen a grown sick man, you will agree with me that they are bigger babies than the actual babies).  Usually if it gets me, it only stays for about a day.  This time I am being pre-emptive and giving Brian Cold FX, Echinacea, and lots of Vitamin C.  As I am nursing, I am just doing the large amounts of Vitamin C and a little bit of Echinacea for myself.  Hopefully Chloe gets better soon and nobody else gets sick!

The worst part of my day is deciding what to make for supper.  Over the past few years, I have tried different menu planning things.  Recently, I thought of one that I really like and seems to be working so far.  On Sunday, I sit down and plan the lunch and supper menu for the week.  Then I make a grocery list for the items that I need for that weeks menu.  Monday morning or Sunday night, I go grocery shopping.  So far it is going quite well.  This allows me to not stress over what I am making for the day, it allows me to eat healthier (because I have my meal planned and do not decide at the last minute that we are having chicken fingers), and it keeps the grocery bill a little lower and the list a lot smaller, making grocery shopping quicker.  My favourite perk of this method is that it allows me to try new recipes.  When I sit down on Sunday, I have some of my numerous cookbooks with me and look through them to see what would be fun to try.  So far I have tried Cajun Shrimp Tortellini and Creamy Chicken Shrimp Penne.  They were both really good.  Even Chloe liked them (which kind of surprised me as one had Cajun Seasoning and the other one had Cayenne Pepper).  Tonight we are having Spanish rice and all I had to think of for supper today was remembering to take out the meat