Every night before going to bed, I try to read at least two books to my daughter. If fact, this is such a ritual that she does not settle down very well unless a story has been read. If it is a true favorite, she will allow me to read it to her and then she takes the book and "reads" it to me. I thought I would share a few of our favorite books.
I am a little biased on this one, Sandy is a friend of mine. When I announced that I was going to decorate my daughter's nursery in frogs, Sandy was nice enough to give me her book Too Many Frogs. While MM was not old enough to understand the book at first, she really got into the story by September and now is sad and happy at the correct moments.
In preparation for MM first dentist visit, I got her the book Show Me Your Smile. This book is almost worn out and I think I will be replacing it soon! She finds things in the pictures and can point to the different colored toothbrushes and tell me colors. I hope my dentist gives her a star sticker when we go!
Hands down, the favorite for colors is Blue Hat, Green Hat. She can quote the entire book. She will even act out some of the turkey's action from the book when I am trying to get her dressed in the morning (usually when I am running late).
A silly book that will have you calling your belly button a beboo, is Belly Button Book. MM loves to poke you and say "beboo" when she is naming body parts. She wanted to make sure her brother had one too and was most unhappy with the first few weeks of his life when his did not look right.
And finally- I swear I do not know her- is another book by Sandra Boynton: Pajama Time! MM loves this book and will not go to bed unless she has on pajamas with a top and bottom, just like in the book. I read this one so many times that I did not have to look at the book, I could close my eyes and recite it. It is a good final book to read since it ends with the lights being turned off.
I do not know if I mentioned how much I love books, but let's just say that when I was planning my daughter's "big girl" room, it included three bookcases so that I could fill them for her.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Maybe not colic after all
Thanks to an email from my college room-mate (thank you Gwen!), I was reminded of what she went through with her son nearly 8 years ago. She told me that when her son was put on liquid Zantac, it was night and day in how much better her son felt. What was thought to be colic turned out to be acid reflux. With that in my mind, I went home yesterday, dreading another night of screaming. BJ was screaming, but he was also whimpering, something not usually associated with colic. I called my doctor's office to see if there was a way I could get liquid Zantac. I was placed on hold, after 10 minutes, I loaded my children into the car and drove to the doctor's office (I was still on hold). I gave up trying to get through on the phone as I turned into their parking lot. I went into the doctor's office and asked what I had been trying to ask by phone. I was told that I needed an appointment. My response? "I'm here." Thankfully they worked me in even thought the office was closing in ten minutes.
I related the symptoms: difficulty latching on while nursing, struggling during bottle feedings, terrible gas, going rigid, pulling up his legs, screaming, whimpering, projectile vomiting (through the nose too), not having a bowel movement all day, and exhibiting colic symptoms throughout the day, not just at night. The doctor also noticed that BJ's abdomen was rigid. The doctor wanted to try an anti-spastic medication first, then switch to a soy based formula, and then if they did not work, BJ would go for an upper GI to determine if acid reflux was the culprit after all. I was not happy to hear about the upper GI, but thankful that there was an opportunity to try an medicine that might soothe him. Some more good news: he is gaining weight- he has gained almost 5 pounds in 7 weeks. Buddha Baby!
I went to the pharmacy nearby and was told they would have to order it for tomorrow. I asked them to call their other pharmacies to see if they had it. I was willing to drive to New York City that night if it meant I was going to get some medicine to make him feel better. The tech came back to the window a few minutes later with the news that they had found some (yeah!) but I had to kill 20 minutes. With the battle cry of "french fries mommy, french fries mommy," from the backseat,I went to Burger King to try to avoid stalking the pharmacist.
The medicine was not very expensive but came with some funny warning labels. It is meant for infants, but came with the following labels: avoid operating heavy machinery, avoid breastfeeding while taking the medicine and may cause blurry vision. Well, if my newborn son suddenly develops the ability to operate heavy machinery, I will make sure that he avoids it because he might have blurry vision. All joking aside, last night was fairly peaceful. He fussed a little, but did not scream or whimper. I am hopeful that we have found the solution, and that we will have more peaceful nights ahead.
I related the symptoms: difficulty latching on while nursing, struggling during bottle feedings, terrible gas, going rigid, pulling up his legs, screaming, whimpering, projectile vomiting (through the nose too), not having a bowel movement all day, and exhibiting colic symptoms throughout the day, not just at night. The doctor also noticed that BJ's abdomen was rigid. The doctor wanted to try an anti-spastic medication first, then switch to a soy based formula, and then if they did not work, BJ would go for an upper GI to determine if acid reflux was the culprit after all. I was not happy to hear about the upper GI, but thankful that there was an opportunity to try an medicine that might soothe him. Some more good news: he is gaining weight- he has gained almost 5 pounds in 7 weeks. Buddha Baby!
I went to the pharmacy nearby and was told they would have to order it for tomorrow. I asked them to call their other pharmacies to see if they had it. I was willing to drive to New York City that night if it meant I was going to get some medicine to make him feel better. The tech came back to the window a few minutes later with the news that they had found some (yeah!) but I had to kill 20 minutes. With the battle cry of "french fries mommy, french fries mommy," from the backseat,I went to Burger King to try to avoid stalking the pharmacist.
The medicine was not very expensive but came with some funny warning labels. It is meant for infants, but came with the following labels: avoid operating heavy machinery, avoid breastfeeding while taking the medicine and may cause blurry vision. Well, if my newborn son suddenly develops the ability to operate heavy machinery, I will make sure that he avoids it because he might have blurry vision. All joking aside, last night was fairly peaceful. He fussed a little, but did not scream or whimper. I am hopeful that we have found the solution, and that we will have more peaceful nights ahead.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Keeping up with MM
I have written about my son almost exclusively, something I am changing today. My daughter, MM, is an active and intelligent two and a half year old. I know that every parent feels that their child is smart, but MM is so very quick with things that I feel comfortable in declaring that she is quite smart. Let me share a few examples of her cleverness:
1. When we first moved to our new house in September, MM did not want to go upstairs to her bedroom, she wanted to be carried. My husband asked her "Is your leg broken?" but then carried her up the steps. The next night, I tried to get her to go upstairs for bedtime and she said "my leg is broken" and held her arms up for me to carry her. I asked her which leg was broken and she pointed to her right leg and said "this one." I told her it did not look broken so she started to limp across the living room!
2. She mastered opening all the doors in the house, including the refrigerator, cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, and van door.
3. She figured out how to latch and unlatch her car seat buckles.
4. She made the connection between Diego (Go, Diego, Go on Nick Jr.)saying climb in Spanish to a llama climbing a mountain and climbing the stairs to go to bed (when her leg is not broken).
5. She knows the following colors: red, blue, yellow, orange, green and purple. She can also count to 10.
6. She began putting together three word sentences before she was two. Now we are up to compound, complex sentences complete with proper use of contractions and some transition words.
7. She is able to mimic the dance moves she sees on Barney and Yo Gabba Gabba.
8. She does circle time with her dolls and "reads" them a story. If it is a book that she has not heard before, she will come to me and tell me that she can not read it and that I have to do circle time for her friends.
9. Other than small buttons and tights, she can dress herself and has been able to put on her shoes and socks for nearly a year.
10. She has been able to follow complex verbal directions for over a year. If you told her to look under something or behind something, she would follow the direction. She also can watch you do something one time, and she has it. For example, just before turning two, she saw an older friend at daycare climb a chair to access the microwave. An hour later, when we got home, she took the stool that she had seen me use to get to the upper cupboards and put it in front of the microwave to access the microwave. Now, she pulls out a taller stool to reach higher.
11. She can also out run many of the students (older ones too) at her daycare and can engage in complex imaginative play. She is so full of energy that I get tired looking at her!
But the one thing she refuses to do is be potty trained. She can control it like an 18 year old, but she refuses to use the potty at home. At daycare, she is A+ but at home she is a "baby." I just hope that she does not go to kindergarten in a pull up!
1. When we first moved to our new house in September, MM did not want to go upstairs to her bedroom, she wanted to be carried. My husband asked her "Is your leg broken?" but then carried her up the steps. The next night, I tried to get her to go upstairs for bedtime and she said "my leg is broken" and held her arms up for me to carry her. I asked her which leg was broken and she pointed to her right leg and said "this one." I told her it did not look broken so she started to limp across the living room!
2. She mastered opening all the doors in the house, including the refrigerator, cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, and van door.
3. She figured out how to latch and unlatch her car seat buckles.
4. She made the connection between Diego (Go, Diego, Go on Nick Jr.)saying climb in Spanish to a llama climbing a mountain and climbing the stairs to go to bed (when her leg is not broken).
5. She knows the following colors: red, blue, yellow, orange, green and purple. She can also count to 10.
6. She began putting together three word sentences before she was two. Now we are up to compound, complex sentences complete with proper use of contractions and some transition words.
7. She is able to mimic the dance moves she sees on Barney and Yo Gabba Gabba.
8. She does circle time with her dolls and "reads" them a story. If it is a book that she has not heard before, she will come to me and tell me that she can not read it and that I have to do circle time for her friends.
9. Other than small buttons and tights, she can dress herself and has been able to put on her shoes and socks for nearly a year.
10. She has been able to follow complex verbal directions for over a year. If you told her to look under something or behind something, she would follow the direction. She also can watch you do something one time, and she has it. For example, just before turning two, she saw an older friend at daycare climb a chair to access the microwave. An hour later, when we got home, she took the stool that she had seen me use to get to the upper cupboards and put it in front of the microwave to access the microwave. Now, she pulls out a taller stool to reach higher.
11. She can also out run many of the students (older ones too) at her daycare and can engage in complex imaginative play. She is so full of energy that I get tired looking at her!
But the one thing she refuses to do is be potty trained. She can control it like an 18 year old, but she refuses to use the potty at home. At daycare, she is A+ but at home she is a "baby." I just hope that she does not go to kindergarten in a pull up!
Friday, January 22, 2010
I interrupt my blog for Haiti
I just wanted to say a few things about what happened in Haiti. I have had and presently have Haitian students in my classroom. I have at least two former students who have not found their parents yet. When I look at the pictures of the children, all I want to do is hold onto my children all the tighter. If you can, give to the Red Cross by texting "Haiti" to 90999 for a $10 donation or for a $5 donation, text "Yele" to 501501. Both are legitimate charities.
I am going to go hug and kiss my children now.
I am going to go hug and kiss my children now.
Semi- frugal moments
I am trying to be more frugal. I will admit that I am not as good as two of my sisters, they are insanely frugal. I have my moments. Could I do better, sure, but I am not trying to torture myself.
So, here are some tips from me:
1. Starbucks coffee offers a free cup of coffee with every 12 oz bag of coffee you get in the supermarket. So if you brew at home, and you like Starbuck's, save the bag and use it in any Starbuck's for a free cup of coffee. My local Starbucks even allows me a Venti Misto for free. So, I brew at home and when I am done with a bag, I save it for when I really need a cup of coffee and I am not home. This is semi-frugal since Starbuck's coffee is still more expensive than Folders. (My mom saved me her bags and gave me five; I'm saving them for a really special occasion!)
2. Great Clips is a new haircutting place near my grocery store. Right now they have $4.99 haircuts. Sure you could cut your own hair, but for $5 plus tip, why mess up your hair? It does cost more for shampooing and for styling afterwards, but if you are like me, you go home and change the style anyway, just pay the extra $4 for a shampoo and let them blow it dry. They will put product in, so you do get the gels or mousses you like, and then go home and style the way you like it. For a total of $9 the other day, I walked out with a haircut I liked.
3. BJ's wholesale club. If you do not belong to a Costco, a BJ's or a Sam's club, do it now! Diapers by the case are cheaper than buying them at WalMart. I priced out diapers for my newborn and if you buy a case, you pay about 10 cents, but if you buy them at Walmart, you are paying 18 cents a diaper. Trust me, I use a case! Also, BJ's will accept manufacturing coupons as well as their own. Since they sell diapers by the case, you can clip two coupons for the Sunday paper and use both coupons for the case! I have been able to get baby clothes for as cheap as $6.99 for an entire outfit. Do avoid the three gallon container of mayo, but for baby/ toddler stuff, get a membership!
4. Cloister's car wash and lube shop. Take care of your car every 3,000 to 4,000 miles and you will have less maintenance later. Cloister sends out a coupon for a free inside and out car wash and 50% off tire rotation when you get your oil changed. Trust me, it is worth the car wash because you don't have to crawl around the inside of your car finding the two week old french fries, some else does it for you!
5. Clipping coupons and shopping sales. Now, I am not going to be able to get $100 of groceries for 25 cents, but I was able to buy $140 worth of groceries for $106 because I tried to buy only items that I had coupons for and/or were on sale. I got a Brita water pitcher that was on sale for 25% off plus it had a $3 instant coupon plus I had a $4 coupon. So, a $32.00 pitcher and filter was only $18. I also got a baby carrying harness at Target for $15 (normally $98) because I was looking through clearance items only. At JCPenneys I got a $30 skirt for $3 because it was sized wrong. Oh, and shop Goodwill and the Salvation Army stores. I have been able to score nice professional clothing for pennies on the dollar, plus it is for a good cause.
6. I have not eaten out since the middle of November. This statement is significant since prior to my marriage the statement "I cooked a meal at home" would have caused my mother to do a double take! I pack my lunch each day and I have not bought a soda in the teacher's lounge either. I drink water all day and for a treat, I drink my Mother's Milk tea at night.
Could I do more, sure, but baby steps are needed. When you are an older mom, giving up some things are just hard to do when you have become accustomed to them. I have given up my trips to the movies and my trips abroad, please allow me my Starbuck's!
So, here are some tips from me:
1. Starbucks coffee offers a free cup of coffee with every 12 oz bag of coffee you get in the supermarket. So if you brew at home, and you like Starbuck's, save the bag and use it in any Starbuck's for a free cup of coffee. My local Starbucks even allows me a Venti Misto for free. So, I brew at home and when I am done with a bag, I save it for when I really need a cup of coffee and I am not home. This is semi-frugal since Starbuck's coffee is still more expensive than Folders. (My mom saved me her bags and gave me five; I'm saving them for a really special occasion!)
2. Great Clips is a new haircutting place near my grocery store. Right now they have $4.99 haircuts. Sure you could cut your own hair, but for $5 plus tip, why mess up your hair? It does cost more for shampooing and for styling afterwards, but if you are like me, you go home and change the style anyway, just pay the extra $4 for a shampoo and let them blow it dry. They will put product in, so you do get the gels or mousses you like, and then go home and style the way you like it. For a total of $9 the other day, I walked out with a haircut I liked.
3. BJ's wholesale club. If you do not belong to a Costco, a BJ's or a Sam's club, do it now! Diapers by the case are cheaper than buying them at WalMart. I priced out diapers for my newborn and if you buy a case, you pay about 10 cents, but if you buy them at Walmart, you are paying 18 cents a diaper. Trust me, I use a case! Also, BJ's will accept manufacturing coupons as well as their own. Since they sell diapers by the case, you can clip two coupons for the Sunday paper and use both coupons for the case! I have been able to get baby clothes for as cheap as $6.99 for an entire outfit. Do avoid the three gallon container of mayo, but for baby/ toddler stuff, get a membership!
4. Cloister's car wash and lube shop. Take care of your car every 3,000 to 4,000 miles and you will have less maintenance later. Cloister sends out a coupon for a free inside and out car wash and 50% off tire rotation when you get your oil changed. Trust me, it is worth the car wash because you don't have to crawl around the inside of your car finding the two week old french fries, some else does it for you!
5. Clipping coupons and shopping sales. Now, I am not going to be able to get $100 of groceries for 25 cents, but I was able to buy $140 worth of groceries for $106 because I tried to buy only items that I had coupons for and/or were on sale. I got a Brita water pitcher that was on sale for 25% off plus it had a $3 instant coupon plus I had a $4 coupon. So, a $32.00 pitcher and filter was only $18. I also got a baby carrying harness at Target for $15 (normally $98) because I was looking through clearance items only. At JCPenneys I got a $30 skirt for $3 because it was sized wrong. Oh, and shop Goodwill and the Salvation Army stores. I have been able to score nice professional clothing for pennies on the dollar, plus it is for a good cause.
6. I have not eaten out since the middle of November. This statement is significant since prior to my marriage the statement "I cooked a meal at home" would have caused my mother to do a double take! I pack my lunch each day and I have not bought a soda in the teacher's lounge either. I drink water all day and for a treat, I drink my Mother's Milk tea at night.
Could I do more, sure, but baby steps are needed. When you are an older mom, giving up some things are just hard to do when you have become accustomed to them. I have given up my trips to the movies and my trips abroad, please allow me my Starbuck's!
The good, the bad, the ugly and the guilt trip
This week has been very stressful for me. At school we are in the middle of midterms which means students are a little more stressed than normal. Additionally, as an ESL teacher, I was called upon to assist the other ESL teachers in providing support for exams. I had to give up my planning period to do this. I do not usually do support during the day because I teach a full load of classes. Because of two days of giving up planning, I had to make sure that I pumped during my lunch. While I do this normally, having to do it in a short period of time meant that I was stressing getting it done. Therefore, milk production went down. I will have to work all weekend on getting it back up again.
Additionally, my children tag teamed me all this week when it was time to sleep. My daughter, MM, is really upset that her going to bed routine is being messed up by her "baby brudder." She joins me in the evening shushing because when he is in full colic, he is quite loud. MM now will not settle down to sleep quickly because the screaming keeps her from drifting off to sleep. Also, she is feeling cheated because I am no longer able to lay down beside her and read her three books like I used to. We used to have quiet time from 8 to 8:30 and she would be asleep in moments; now, I'm lucky if I get her to bed and asleep by 9 pm with one book read. She does not want to be in her bed, she wants to be in mine and she does not want me to get out of bed to take care of her brother BJ. So, I am really stressed right now because having a colicky baby and a 2 1/2 year old acting out is almost too much. I find myself getting really frustrated with MM behaving like a 2 year old. How dare she act her age! And then the guilt trip begins. She does not understand why BJ is crying and why I can not spend as much time with her and why I keep fussing at her when she touches her brother's head or tries to poke him in the eye. If I had more sleep, things would be better.
I know you would like to know where my husband is in all of this. Well, he does have the children all day, so I try to give him a break from time to time. But also, his brother is on dialysis three nights a week. His brother has already lost a leg due to his diabetes. Andy has to drive up to the Health Campus, pick up his brother, drive down to the southern-end of the county, drop him off, see if his mom needs anything since she is 80 years old and his brother lives with her, and then come back home. Therefore, he is watching the children all day, then must spend most evenings doing things for his mom and brother and then gets back quite late. Andy's sister does help with this duty every other week, so it is not all on us (I love her!), but this is still a huge stress on our family. So,I try to let him sleep as much as possible because as exhausting as my students are, they are not as exhausting as a newborn and 2 1/2 year old.
This week's bedtime routine fell into three categories: the good, the bad and the ugly. Tuesday night was the ugly. I did not get MM to bed until 10 pm and she got up every two hours until I finally allowed her into my bed. BJ kept MM up until 10 pm and then, in a move that would make the WWF proud, they tag teamed me all night. When MM was up, BJ was down; when BJ was up, MM was down. MM was not just awake and needing soothing, she was crying because I left her in her room alone. I had to spend 45 minutes with her to get her to calm down. BJ kept me up with his screaming until midnight. (I use Mylacon drops, with mixed results, but it does gain me a few minutes of quiet)I spent a large amount of time shushing, rocking, swinging and walking trying to get him to calm down. At one point, I found myself wide awake at 1 am, so I pumped since there was nothing else better to do; I could not sleep. I think that if you put it all together I got about three hours, but that is putting it all together.
The good was Wednesday. I think my children are trying to make me bipolar. As horrible as Tuesday night was, Wednesday was a dream. I got six hours of sleep, maybe more! Yes, six hours! I felt like I was as light as a butterfly for all of Thursday because I was so well rested. BJ was happy to sleep in the swing while I laid down with MM and read her books. She slept in her bed until 5 am and then I allowed her to come into our bed for the last two hours she was going to sleep (I was going to be up soon, so I did not care). BJ woke up only to be changed and to have a bottle. He had only one brief colic moment around 8 pm and that was that. Heaven!
The bad was last night. Not quite as bad as Tuesday, but pretty darn close. To make matters worse, Andy was put in charge of potty training duties yesterday, and they were less than positive. Before leaving for work, I put MM in big girl panties and brought the potty down from the upstairs bathroom so there was no excuse. Andy had to run an errand mid-day and did not think to put her in her pull-ups. By the time he got to where he was going, she was wet all the way up her chest. As I said, not that positive of an experience. MM was set up to be a clingy mess and she was. I did not even try to get her in her bed, I just put her in ours. I read two books while BJ was calm and then got MM settled enough so that I could rock BJ. My night was up with BJ, down for an hour, up with MM, down for an hour, up with Bj, and then down again. I gave up after 5 am. I did not get the chance to pump, so milk production was further hurt.
I will say that I am becoming addicted to two shows: Clean House and Hoarders. I feel so much better after watching those shows. As crazy as my life is and as messed up I think my house is, I am not so bad that I could be on either one of those shows! Hey, late night shows are really interesting.
Additionally, my children tag teamed me all this week when it was time to sleep. My daughter, MM, is really upset that her going to bed routine is being messed up by her "baby brudder." She joins me in the evening shushing because when he is in full colic, he is quite loud. MM now will not settle down to sleep quickly because the screaming keeps her from drifting off to sleep. Also, she is feeling cheated because I am no longer able to lay down beside her and read her three books like I used to. We used to have quiet time from 8 to 8:30 and she would be asleep in moments; now, I'm lucky if I get her to bed and asleep by 9 pm with one book read. She does not want to be in her bed, she wants to be in mine and she does not want me to get out of bed to take care of her brother BJ. So, I am really stressed right now because having a colicky baby and a 2 1/2 year old acting out is almost too much. I find myself getting really frustrated with MM behaving like a 2 year old. How dare she act her age! And then the guilt trip begins. She does not understand why BJ is crying and why I can not spend as much time with her and why I keep fussing at her when she touches her brother's head or tries to poke him in the eye. If I had more sleep, things would be better.
I know you would like to know where my husband is in all of this. Well, he does have the children all day, so I try to give him a break from time to time. But also, his brother is on dialysis three nights a week. His brother has already lost a leg due to his diabetes. Andy has to drive up to the Health Campus, pick up his brother, drive down to the southern-end of the county, drop him off, see if his mom needs anything since she is 80 years old and his brother lives with her, and then come back home. Therefore, he is watching the children all day, then must spend most evenings doing things for his mom and brother and then gets back quite late. Andy's sister does help with this duty every other week, so it is not all on us (I love her!), but this is still a huge stress on our family. So,I try to let him sleep as much as possible because as exhausting as my students are, they are not as exhausting as a newborn and 2 1/2 year old.
This week's bedtime routine fell into three categories: the good, the bad and the ugly. Tuesday night was the ugly. I did not get MM to bed until 10 pm and she got up every two hours until I finally allowed her into my bed. BJ kept MM up until 10 pm and then, in a move that would make the WWF proud, they tag teamed me all night. When MM was up, BJ was down; when BJ was up, MM was down. MM was not just awake and needing soothing, she was crying because I left her in her room alone. I had to spend 45 minutes with her to get her to calm down. BJ kept me up with his screaming until midnight. (I use Mylacon drops, with mixed results, but it does gain me a few minutes of quiet)I spent a large amount of time shushing, rocking, swinging and walking trying to get him to calm down. At one point, I found myself wide awake at 1 am, so I pumped since there was nothing else better to do; I could not sleep. I think that if you put it all together I got about three hours, but that is putting it all together.
The good was Wednesday. I think my children are trying to make me bipolar. As horrible as Tuesday night was, Wednesday was a dream. I got six hours of sleep, maybe more! Yes, six hours! I felt like I was as light as a butterfly for all of Thursday because I was so well rested. BJ was happy to sleep in the swing while I laid down with MM and read her books. She slept in her bed until 5 am and then I allowed her to come into our bed for the last two hours she was going to sleep (I was going to be up soon, so I did not care). BJ woke up only to be changed and to have a bottle. He had only one brief colic moment around 8 pm and that was that. Heaven!
The bad was last night. Not quite as bad as Tuesday, but pretty darn close. To make matters worse, Andy was put in charge of potty training duties yesterday, and they were less than positive. Before leaving for work, I put MM in big girl panties and brought the potty down from the upstairs bathroom so there was no excuse. Andy had to run an errand mid-day and did not think to put her in her pull-ups. By the time he got to where he was going, she was wet all the way up her chest. As I said, not that positive of an experience. MM was set up to be a clingy mess and she was. I did not even try to get her in her bed, I just put her in ours. I read two books while BJ was calm and then got MM settled enough so that I could rock BJ. My night was up with BJ, down for an hour, up with MM, down for an hour, up with Bj, and then down again. I gave up after 5 am. I did not get the chance to pump, so milk production was further hurt.
I will say that I am becoming addicted to two shows: Clean House and Hoarders. I feel so much better after watching those shows. As crazy as my life is and as messed up I think my house is, I am not so bad that I could be on either one of those shows! Hey, late night shows are really interesting.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Moo
As I previously mentioned, I am pumping in my attempt to be the best mom to my son. Not that those who use formula are less loving moms, I am just trying to follow all the advice out there. My husband and I are in slight disagreement about this. He thinks that my milk is giving our son colic, but I maintain that our son's immune system is not fully developed so my milk is essential. He thinks that an all formula diet would eliminate colic because my milk is the culprit. I found an article to use as ammunition (http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/is-my-breast-milk-causing-my-infant-to-suffer-with-colic/), but he will not totally believe me until our son outgrows colic but is still drinking my milk. For the record, I do not think my milk is giving him colic, gas maybe, but not colic. I have tried to remove as many gas producing foods from my diet as possible, but I need to eat vegetables!
When I began pumping for my son, my husband, Andy (the country boy that he is) was surprised that I had to pump as much as I did. According to him, cows are only milked twice a day, so I should only do it twice a day! Moo. Of course this is also the same person who, when I was pregnant, jokingly spoke to his friends about when I was due to calf. Moo again. He did not really see me pump much for my daughter because I was off for the summer (I'm a teacher) when she was born. When I returned to school, I only pumped for a short period of time before I had to give up nursing/pumping for medical reasons. He did not understand the time commitment to the whole process and still occasionally gets a little irritated when I need him to take care of the baby while I pump. Formula is easier, but more expensive. I am already supplementing, but I want to make sure my son gets some benefit of breast milk.
I recently read an article in Parents magazine (good articles for many age groups) about pumping. It discussed many of the problems I expressed (no pun intended), but went on to discuss different types of pumps. The author reviewed super cheap to very expensive, but did not say which kind she found helpful; if I was a new mom, I am not going to try all those varieties, it's too expensive. So let me tell you what kind of pump I use: an Evenflo comfort Select Dual. It was not the most expensive style, but it does the job. It can use a power cord or batteries (use the cord!). I am able to pump both breasts at the same time. I will admit to feeling like a cow when I am hooked up to it, but in 1/2 an hour, I can usually get between 3 and 8 oz. I take a little longer to pump because I need time to relax into it, plus I am trying to stimulate production. I am pumping three times a day so that I can provide enough milk for my son during the day. I am also able to store one 6 oz bag in the freezer every 2 to 3 days. It is not much, but I feel like I need to do something to overcome the guilt I feel about returning to work so soon after his birth.
The other day I opened the freezer door and admired all my hard work. I have managed to store a three weeks supply. If I continue what I am doing, I should have a month's supply soon which makes me feel a little more secure. What if something were to happen to me? (yes I am obsessed with this right now, darn those stairs!) At least I know that my son has a chance at more of my immunity and will hopefully survive the cold season.
When I began pumping for my son, my husband, Andy (the country boy that he is) was surprised that I had to pump as much as I did. According to him, cows are only milked twice a day, so I should only do it twice a day! Moo. Of course this is also the same person who, when I was pregnant, jokingly spoke to his friends about when I was due to calf. Moo again. He did not really see me pump much for my daughter because I was off for the summer (I'm a teacher) when she was born. When I returned to school, I only pumped for a short period of time before I had to give up nursing/pumping for medical reasons. He did not understand the time commitment to the whole process and still occasionally gets a little irritated when I need him to take care of the baby while I pump. Formula is easier, but more expensive. I am already supplementing, but I want to make sure my son gets some benefit of breast milk.
I recently read an article in Parents magazine (good articles for many age groups) about pumping. It discussed many of the problems I expressed (no pun intended), but went on to discuss different types of pumps. The author reviewed super cheap to very expensive, but did not say which kind she found helpful; if I was a new mom, I am not going to try all those varieties, it's too expensive. So let me tell you what kind of pump I use: an Evenflo comfort Select Dual. It was not the most expensive style, but it does the job. It can use a power cord or batteries (use the cord!). I am able to pump both breasts at the same time. I will admit to feeling like a cow when I am hooked up to it, but in 1/2 an hour, I can usually get between 3 and 8 oz. I take a little longer to pump because I need time to relax into it, plus I am trying to stimulate production. I am pumping three times a day so that I can provide enough milk for my son during the day. I am also able to store one 6 oz bag in the freezer every 2 to 3 days. It is not much, but I feel like I need to do something to overcome the guilt I feel about returning to work so soon after his birth.
The other day I opened the freezer door and admired all my hard work. I have managed to store a three weeks supply. If I continue what I am doing, I should have a month's supply soon which makes me feel a little more secure. What if something were to happen to me? (yes I am obsessed with this right now, darn those stairs!) At least I know that my son has a chance at more of my immunity and will hopefully survive the cold season.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Saying good-bye
My parents left this morning to go to Florida. They are stopping at my sister's in Virginia Beach because she has a medical procedure that requires someone to be with her afterwards.
As I was leaving my parents' house, my mom started to cry which of course set me off. When your children are under the age of five, a week makes a difference and my mom was looking at not seeing her grandchildren for 3 1/2 months. I remind her that there were flights from Florida to Pennsylvania everyday, but depending on my father's medical condition, she may or may not be able to take advantage of them.
My mom is slightly irritated with me for waiting to get married and have children after my father and she decided to move part-time to Florida. If I had not gotten married and had children, she would not feel so guilty about going to the Sunshine state and enjoying retirement. She says this now, but once she gets back and starts socializing again, she will forget she misses me! (Not completely, but not as keenly!)
As an older mom, my parents are also older. The older the parents, the more likely there is to be medical problems. My dad must have two medical procedures done while in Florida: a hip replacement and skin cancer growths removed. My father is a walking advertisement for why everyone needs to wear sunscreen; he has had so many growths removed that he looks like he is addicted to plastic surgery and face lifts. My parents decided to wait until going back to Florida to have the medical procedures done, which also means that none of his children will be able to visit him while he is in recovery. It also means, that if, God forbid, something goes wrong, my mom is alone in Florida dealing with everything. So, you see, each time my parents travel to Florida, I worry that something will happen and that the good-bye I am giving is the last one I get to give.
As I was leaving my parents' house, my mom started to cry which of course set me off. When your children are under the age of five, a week makes a difference and my mom was looking at not seeing her grandchildren for 3 1/2 months. I remind her that there were flights from Florida to Pennsylvania everyday, but depending on my father's medical condition, she may or may not be able to take advantage of them.
My mom is slightly irritated with me for waiting to get married and have children after my father and she decided to move part-time to Florida. If I had not gotten married and had children, she would not feel so guilty about going to the Sunshine state and enjoying retirement. She says this now, but once she gets back and starts socializing again, she will forget she misses me! (Not completely, but not as keenly!)
As an older mom, my parents are also older. The older the parents, the more likely there is to be medical problems. My dad must have two medical procedures done while in Florida: a hip replacement and skin cancer growths removed. My father is a walking advertisement for why everyone needs to wear sunscreen; he has had so many growths removed that he looks like he is addicted to plastic surgery and face lifts. My parents decided to wait until going back to Florida to have the medical procedures done, which also means that none of his children will be able to visit him while he is in recovery. It also means, that if, God forbid, something goes wrong, my mom is alone in Florida dealing with everything. So, you see, each time my parents travel to Florida, I worry that something will happen and that the good-bye I am giving is the last one I get to give.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Breast milk
One of the most difficult challenges I have faced this time around is the breast milk issue. I was able to nurse my daughter until she was 4 1/2 months. I managed to pump for the first month back at school, but the stress was too much and I dried up. Now, having to return after only 2 weeks, I am keenly aware that I need to continue to pump. I have had to supplement with formula a little, but I am still able to pump about 18 oz a day. I get up at 5:45 am to pump, pump during lunch, and pump before going to bed. I still carry my 32 oz water cup from Woman's and Babies Hospital to make sure that I am drinking over a gallon of water a day. To further improve output, I have researched ways to improve milk production and found out that a tea called "Mother's Milk" is supposed to help. I finally found it at my local Giant in the Organic section. It is a peculiar taste, but not unpleasant. I had three cups yesterday and, whether it is psychosomatic or not, I did seem to increase production by one oz this morning. I will let you know if it has helped any. I will also let you know if the ingredients in the tea help, hurt or do nothing to deal with the baby's colic.
Oh, and the baby has decided that nursing is for the birds. I have to pump in order to put it in a bottle so he will drink it. I must sit looking at my child while pumping rather than letting him nurse because the stress of trying to get him to nurse is too much. If I was a stay at home mom, it is worth the struggle, because I could fight the battle over a few days, but since I am only able to fight for two days and then he has five days of bottles, it does not seem worth the struggle. He gets breast milk, so I guess that is what is most important. Don't get me wrong, I miss the closeness that comes from nursing, but I need to choose my battles.
For my working moms out there, isn't it a pain trying to find a place that is quiet enough to pump? I am lucky enough to have a classroom, but I still have to put up a sign (which has been ignored two times!), turn out the light and sit at the back of my classroom to pump. It's great spending my entire lunch pumping. It's not like I can create a pumping club and a group of us sit around in a room talking while pumping. It is very isolating. If I had a baby, I could sit in the company of others, but not while pumping. (Deep sigh)
Oh, and the baby has decided that nursing is for the birds. I have to pump in order to put it in a bottle so he will drink it. I must sit looking at my child while pumping rather than letting him nurse because the stress of trying to get him to nurse is too much. If I was a stay at home mom, it is worth the struggle, because I could fight the battle over a few days, but since I am only able to fight for two days and then he has five days of bottles, it does not seem worth the struggle. He gets breast milk, so I guess that is what is most important. Don't get me wrong, I miss the closeness that comes from nursing, but I need to choose my battles.
For my working moms out there, isn't it a pain trying to find a place that is quiet enough to pump? I am lucky enough to have a classroom, but I still have to put up a sign (which has been ignored two times!), turn out the light and sit at the back of my classroom to pump. It's great spending my entire lunch pumping. It's not like I can create a pumping club and a group of us sit around in a room talking while pumping. It is very isolating. If I had a baby, I could sit in the company of others, but not while pumping. (Deep sigh)
stairs-1, me-0
Last Sunday I attempted to do what "everyone" has told me to do: I took a nap when my 2 year old took a nap. It also helped that the baby was also asleep. For one perfect hour, all was peaceful. Then, my husband, who had been chopping wood for the fireplace, came upstairs to take a shower. My daughter popped up yelling for her father. This, of course, got the baby up, so I had to get up. I figured I would allow daddy to take care of potty time while I went downstairs to get a bottle (it was breast milk, more on that later). I walked to the top of the steps, took one step and attempted the second when (if it had been a cartoon it would have been funny) I slipped and went down the entire flight, on my back. Yes, the baby was in my arms. After reaching the bottom and realizing the baby was not with me (I lost him half way down), I attempted to crawl up the steps again. My husband rushed down the steps to me (he loves me after all!) and I sent him back up to get the baby who was screaming his head off. Now, the worst thing you can see after such an event is blood on your newborn's head, and yes, there was blood.
I have had just enough first aid training from Girl Scouts and while working with MH/MR adults just after college that I knew the baby screaming was good. He was moving everything which was also good. We changed his diaper and checked for other injuries, all was good. I got him his bottle and he ate the entire 6 oz, good once again. Ok, I am not so confident that I did not call my pediatrician and then take him to the hospital.
The staff at Lancaster General were great. I was crying and more upset then the baby, so they let me sit down and give my information almost immediately. I had to tell my story five different times (oh I know it looked suspicious, but thankfully I did not get a Children and Youth visit). He had to have a CAT scan which thankfully came out okay. The head wound was a scratch from my ring and it was superficial. I have spent this past week watching everything and I am confident in saying that there does not seem to be anything wrong.
I was not as lucky. Because I was holding him, I was unable to break my fall. The bruise on my left forearm is gorgeous! I scraped my back and bruised my butt and thigh. I am still walking stiffly, but I will take all the bruising in exchange for my son's safety.
My daughter was quite upset as well. She needed to be reassured that I was fine and that the baby was fine. I am super careful about the steps, whether it is with my daughter, the baby or myself. I think I will be removing the carpet from the steps soon.
In the realm of trying to be all things to all people, I did not take the time to pay attention to my health. On Wednesday, I finally went to the doctor's and discovered that I had a sinus infection that was moving into my right ear. Did I fall because I was tired or because I had a sinus infection? Bottom line, we need to take care of our health so that we can take care of our family's health.
I have had just enough first aid training from Girl Scouts and while working with MH/MR adults just after college that I knew the baby screaming was good. He was moving everything which was also good. We changed his diaper and checked for other injuries, all was good. I got him his bottle and he ate the entire 6 oz, good once again. Ok, I am not so confident that I did not call my pediatrician and then take him to the hospital.
The staff at Lancaster General were great. I was crying and more upset then the baby, so they let me sit down and give my information almost immediately. I had to tell my story five different times (oh I know it looked suspicious, but thankfully I did not get a Children and Youth visit). He had to have a CAT scan which thankfully came out okay. The head wound was a scratch from my ring and it was superficial. I have spent this past week watching everything and I am confident in saying that there does not seem to be anything wrong.
I was not as lucky. Because I was holding him, I was unable to break my fall. The bruise on my left forearm is gorgeous! I scraped my back and bruised my butt and thigh. I am still walking stiffly, but I will take all the bruising in exchange for my son's safety.
My daughter was quite upset as well. She needed to be reassured that I was fine and that the baby was fine. I am super careful about the steps, whether it is with my daughter, the baby or myself. I think I will be removing the carpet from the steps soon.
In the realm of trying to be all things to all people, I did not take the time to pay attention to my health. On Wednesday, I finally went to the doctor's and discovered that I had a sinus infection that was moving into my right ear. Did I fall because I was tired or because I had a sinus infection? Bottom line, we need to take care of our health so that we can take care of our family's health.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
cleaning the house
So, I tried really hard to get cleaning done, but it did not happen. Sooo, my mom has agreed to watch the children so that I can drive back up to my house in Lancaster and clean uninterrupted for several hours. My goal is to get all the laundry done, finish sorting my daughter's clothes according to size, clean the carpet in the living room, mop the bathrooms and kitchen, and run around like a maniac for a few hours with the knowledge that my mom's help comes to an end on Monday. I think that if I can get laundry done and the bathrooms cleaned, I will feel like I have just won the lottery!
As per directed by my mother (who is watching me type) I am supposed to tell everyone that my parents came up from Florida three weeks earlier than they normally do because of my pregnancy and then stayed three weeks later to help. As I said, I appreciate all their help and know that I am lucky to have help at all when so many others do not have any help.
My sisters, who had children in their twenties, think that I am spoiled for all the help. I personally think they are a little jealous that I got some help. Well, duh! you say. The trade off is that I am older, pregnancy is harder (and higher risk) and recovery takes longer, but my parents are now retired and can provide more help than when they had a full time job. At least two sisters do not understand this. One sister has health issues that prevented pregnancy and the other had her children before age 27 and is a stay at home mom. Balancing a career and children has its own issues. Supermom I am not. Better than my sisters, I am not. Different than my sisters, oh yes.
As per directed by my mother (who is watching me type) I am supposed to tell everyone that my parents came up from Florida three weeks earlier than they normally do because of my pregnancy and then stayed three weeks later to help. As I said, I appreciate all their help and know that I am lucky to have help at all when so many others do not have any help.
My sisters, who had children in their twenties, think that I am spoiled for all the help. I personally think they are a little jealous that I got some help. Well, duh! you say. The trade off is that I am older, pregnancy is harder (and higher risk) and recovery takes longer, but my parents are now retired and can provide more help than when they had a full time job. At least two sisters do not understand this. One sister has health issues that prevented pregnancy and the other had her children before age 27 and is a stay at home mom. Balancing a career and children has its own issues. Supermom I am not. Better than my sisters, I am not. Different than my sisters, oh yes.
baby acne
Everyone wants to have the beautiful baby, the one everyone thinks is as cute as the Gerber baby, but then baby acne happens! I found an article about it: http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-acne_72.bc?Ad=com.bc.common.AdInfo%406cbb3e3e
I find the baby center website full of useful information. I originally logged on when I was pregnant with my daughter. The website offers weekly updates for the specific age of your child when you sign up for their weekly newsletter. For baby acne, as much as it looks like my child has severe windburn, I was comforted to know that I was doing the right thing: no lotions and not washing it constantly. I am supposed to be patient for it to go away. I am not sure I am that patient, but as with all things baby, it doesn't matter what I want, it what the baby wants!
Last night was a better night. No screaming fits, just up every two hours. I finally gave up on my bed and went out to the living room, put him in the baby swing and laid on the sofa. He loved the swing with the classical music option cranked to 5. I got two more hours of sleep. The baby swing is the best invention ever! Ok, after coffee.
I find the baby center website full of useful information. I originally logged on when I was pregnant with my daughter. The website offers weekly updates for the specific age of your child when you sign up for their weekly newsletter. For baby acne, as much as it looks like my child has severe windburn, I was comforted to know that I was doing the right thing: no lotions and not washing it constantly. I am supposed to be patient for it to go away. I am not sure I am that patient, but as with all things baby, it doesn't matter what I want, it what the baby wants!
Last night was a better night. No screaming fits, just up every two hours. I finally gave up on my bed and went out to the living room, put him in the baby swing and laid on the sofa. He loved the swing with the classical music option cranked to 5. I got two more hours of sleep. The baby swing is the best invention ever! Ok, after coffee.
Friday, January 15, 2010
looking forward to long weekend
Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, I do not have school on Monday. I am thankful for the break so that I can get grading caught up and hopefully clean my house. I have not been doing very well with keeping up with everything because it has been such a struggle to get more than four hours of sleep. Part of my fatigue is related to the fact that I needed to return to work after only two weeks because my husband lost his job. I could not pick him up on my insurance and go on maternity leave (with its reduced pay), so once I had exhausted my sick days, I came back to work. I'm sure others out there have experienced the same situation. I am just focused on getting one thing done at a time. All I have to say is thank God for my mom and dad who have helped out so much! Unfortunately, they will be returning to Florida until May, so my safety net will be gone and I will be flying solo. Okay, to be fair, my husband will be with me, but not having my mom will be hard.
first post
I have decided to create this blog to reach out to all the other moms out there who are the same as I am: late thirties, career minded but who have children under five. I am a teacher in the city and I have a two and a half little girl and a six week old little boy. I am trying to manage teaching and caring for my family but I do not feel like I am doing a good job. I also think that I am being too hard on myself and I am trying to be all things to all people. I am sleepless for obvious reasons: a newborn with colic who wakes up a two year old who has decided she needs an adult to stay with her until she sleeps.
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