Kicks and Giggles

It was huge!  I am relieved (as is he, I’m sure)!

My theory:  So I think I have figured out why he is not nursing.  It had nothing to do with my supply.  I have lots of milk.  My little boy is just not hungry.  He is now going at least 4 hours between every feeding and sometimes as long as 6 (all during the day, at night he can go longer).  It is so weird for me.  I don’t know how that is possible, I mean I eat more often than that!  This is why he wasn’t eating when I tried to feed him at his usual times.  He wasn’t hungry.  So the formula has been shelved for now.  Also, with the exception of a small squirt, Jacob has not pooped in a week.  I am slightly worried and we have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.  Here is my theory (which I have no medical basis for whatsoever, so do not take it as fact).  Jacob is eating more, but he is not pooping because his body is holding/absorbing more of his food.  This is also why he is not eating as often, because the food is staying in his body.  So there’s what I think.  Tomorrow, we will see what the doctor thinks.

Our Date:  My parents were here this weekend for a conference and so I asked them to babysit the kids on Sunday night so Brian and I could go on a date.  Our last date without the kids was May 29 of 2008 (so over a year).  It was much needed.  We went to Montana’s for supper and then to the Cheesecake Cafe for dessert.  Afterwards, we went to see a movie.  It was so weird to be out without the kids but we really enjoyed it.  I need to find a regular babysitter so we can go out more often.  I do have a pretty good lead on one, so maybe I will try her for Brian’s work Christmas party in December.

Chloe is really into Backyardigans.  One of the episodes has a couple of them playing robots.

This is a switch that switches the robots from good to bad and vice versa.  I know this is just a kids show, but who in their right mind would ever design a robot with this switch?  And does anyone know where to find this switch on my kids?

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.