1-Month Old

Wow...time has FLOWN! It really seems like it was just a couple of days ago when we were bringing Dakota Kate home from the hospital. Ridiculous.

This little girl has changed so much already too!

At our 5-Day Well Visit: She regained her birth weight. She failed her Hearing Test at the hospital so we had to reschedule for a retest, but other than that there weren't any health issues at all!

At our 2-Week Well Visit: She had easily passed the Hearing Test and we received confirmation again of this. She grew to 22.25"; weighed 8 lbs, 11.5 oz; and had a head circumference of 14.5"

At our 6-Week Well Visit: She had grown just a little to 22.5"; weighed 10 lbs, 7 oz; and her head circumference was 15.25". According to the charts, she's hitting 50th percentile for both length and weight.

She's very social and loves making eye contact; she studies faces thoroughly. She also demands to be held all the time-she's enjoys the warmth and coziness of being cradled. Lately she's been much more vocal too and coos when she's content, particularly in the early mornings when we have our special moments at the crack of dawn. Oddly enough, this child enjoys tummy time! It actually comes in handy when I must put her down for a short bit {since she doesn't normally like to be placed down at all}.

Her favorite things right now are...

• Our Pottery Barn Bassinet: {thank goodness I'm getting my money's worth!} She naps during the day in the living room and then I wheel it into the Master Bedroom and she sleeps in it at nighttime. I'm not sure what we're going to do when she outgrows it!
• Falling asleep being worn in the Pikkolo Carrier: Sometimes this is the only way I can get things done during the day. I also "wear her down" to sleep most every night and it works like a charm.
• Keeping her hands by her face: I have to diligently cut her nails so she doesn't scratch her face {at nighttime I pull her gown's mitts over her fingers}

• She nurses well though and has grown quite a bit. I kept an "Input-Output Record" for her first month to make sure she's getting enough food. Let's just say she gets plenty to eat! In fact, we've had some oversupply issues and she gets frustrated in the late-afternoons/early-evenings when I sometimes have forceful letdown, but we learned from our first LLL meeting that she'll grow to deal with it and my body should naturally adjust to her demands anyway.
• There's a bit of eczema that's shown up on her face; I've never had to deal with baby skin problems though so it's been a challenge finding out what to use to make it disappear. She's also sensitive and prone to heat rashes which doesn't help with her complexion. It even took me a while to figure out that one of the reasons she HATES care rides is because the newborn insert in her car seat prohibits circulation and actually acts as a insulation trapping heat in...bless her!
• Her eyes are a Steel Grey and I keep hoping for BLUE like her Daddy {yes, I realize it's improbable}. For now though it's cool to look at her face in the sunlight when she's wearing blue as her eyes resemble her Daddy's.

How About False Labor

Very early Sunday morning, I thought we were going to have to go into Labor & Delivery. I'd had a couple of strong Braxton Hicks contractions throughout the day Saturday. At nighttime I made sure to sip on some tea and put my feet up. I started counting contractions from 9:45pm because they seemed to be coming more frequently. Between 12:30-1:30 I'd had 7 strong contractions with cramping in both my lower back and lower abdomen {ranging between 3-7 minutes in distance}.

I called my OB's office machine to get their L&D emergency number but wanted to be sure I was having real labor contractions and not false labor so I tried the 'ole Google search engine. Honestly, I didn't want to have to go into the hospital only to be hooked up and then turned away, keeping Scott from sleep and waking up a grumpy toddler who most certainly wouldn't have gone back to bed afterwards:

{above chart from WebMD}

I've had stronger Braxton Hicks contractions this whole pregnancy, but these were actual painful ones with cramps that wrapped around my back to my lower stomach. I remembered that a big indicator is having a regular, steady pattern of the contractions though and these were very unpredictable and timing was between 3-7 minutes between contractions.

All in all, around 1:45 I made the decision to try and sleep it off {poor Scott with my wiggling in bed!} and decided that if it were REAL labor, then there'd be no way that I would be able to sleep anyway. Eventually at some point I fell asleep and obviously they weren't true labor contractions...although I'm still going to call my OB first thing Monday morning just to let them know even though my appointment isn't until Thursday.

I've been nesting quite a bit lately though! {thus no blog postings lately} This past week I designated my Sewing Week...and I'm so excited because I'm not nearly as intimidated by sewing clothes. I'm through with this week's sewing list, but will need to take photos of the projects to share soon.

I'm dedicating the next 2 weeks to getting the Nursery Put Together {well as much as I can without having the bedding here yet...which is at Mom & Dad's AND the curtain fabric is on backorder until the 2nd week of April}. I have a Board and Batten project, walls to paint, a dresser to put together, furniture to move, a room to accesorize, and I'll need to find a lamp and rug too. Whoa!

Scott urged me to go ahead and purchase the stroller and car seat base/adapter, so I'm suuuuuper excited that's coming in this week too! I really want Baby Dakota to "cook" much longer, but if for some reason she debuts before 40 weeks, then we're working our way towards being ready for her early arrival!

Ok, now it's time for me to finally get ready for church...just wanted to record the slight "scare" from last night.

Her Bump- 31.5 Weeks

Goodness gracious. I'd been pleased that lately I'd felt better {physically} during this pregnancy & hadn't been as large. Well, it only took a couple of weeks for me to explode...

And with it all, the physical ailments of: heartburn {never had this with Mason}, nausea, ongoing exhaustion, huge boobs {much bigger this time}, poor circulation, and rib pains.


Dakota Kate hasn't dropped yet which is nice for my bladder but tough on my stomach and ribs; there's this particular spot below the right side of my ribs and she likes to lodge herself and sometimes kicks me in the same sore area to a point of me squealing in pain. No, no, no baby girl! I had someone suggest placing a cold compress there to deter her from that particular area {because DK doesn't like to be cold} and that works temporarily. *sigh* I'm still okay with her "cooking" for a while though. Let me get some more things planned and ready, more DIY projects complete, and oh yeah I need to continue preparing Mason for his little sister!

To Prepare Mason:

• I bought him a baby doll this week, but he's just not interested. He'll amuse me when I ask him to by cradling the baby and will "burp" her...but then he just throws her on the ground and goes onto another toy. I won't push the doll much but may make a point twice a week to remind him that his own baby sister will be here soon while caressing the doll.
• I need to see about scheduling a Hospital Tour for him {special tour offered to orient siblings}
• We already have an art easel that will replace the glider in his room once we move that to the nursery, but I'd also like to have a special gift from him to Dakota {even if just something homemade for a keepsake}, and then find some gift that will be "from Dakota" to her big brother.
• I've already dubbed him "Mommy's Big Helper" and he gets tickled vacuuming, throwing things in the trash, throwing his cup/dishes in the sink, etc. Once we get the nursery set up I'll have a special place for him to reach the diapers/wipes so he can fetch them to help me out {yeah...I said "fetch}
• We may also try and visit LLL next month so that he can be around other nursing moms. I'm curious how he'll react or if he'll even notice. I think he's only seen his Aunt nurse his cousin once...and really it was inconspicuous. I definitely have plans to breastfeed Dakota; however I don't plan on tandem nursing my already-weaned son.

Almost forgot...

Shhhh, it's the 2 Month Countdown!

Phenotype

According to The Tech Museum, Dakota has a:

• 72.7% chance she'll have BROWN eyes
• 13.6% chance they'll be BLUE eyes
• 13.6% chance they'll be GREEN eyes

{calculated HERE}

I'll place my bets on brown eyes. Although it is interesting because I thought that since my brown-eyed phenotype is all-dominant that she'd definitely have brown...apparently I need to brush up on my genotype studies!

Neurotic Mommy

Well after my concern a couple of weeks ago regarding the Baby's gender {HERE}, I'm happy to report that Baby Dakota is indeed still a GIRL. Yes, I'll admit it was a neurotic worry. Scott thinks I'm nuts for even questioning the first technician...but wouldn't you if it took an hour to determine the gender AND she "guessed" wrong the first time? Plus, 2 nights ago I had a vivid nightmare that the Baby was born Baby Dakota James, which is what her name would have been if she'd really been a boy {middle name in honor of Mom's father}.This morning I was able to see her sweet little face again and she's BIG! I went to a local technical school {so the ultrasound was free} and didn't purchase any images, but I had confirmation that she's a girl and that she's growing and that's all I needed anyway.

• She's currently positioned Right Occipito Anterior
• Her face has fully formed {more fat has filled in since our last scan 6 wks ago} and she's BEAUTIFUL! She opened her eyes at one point...and I don't know if you can really tell, but they appeared to be large and rounded just like her big brother's. She has chubby cheeks and a sweet little button nose. We also had her puckering her lips at us like she was blowing us a kiss. What a flirt!
• She was very mobile...again. But towards the end, my belly was very cold and she huddled up very tightly into her fetal position. Poor baby girl!
• Her umbillical was twisted {not around her though!} and the teaching instructor advised this is a good sign of healthy movement.
• Everything was very "textbook" with her skeletal structure looking great, her organs working, and she spanned from just under my ribs all the way down to the to top of my pubic bone. She was tall!

And what a delight to get this today in the mail...in honor of my sweet GIRL!

Her Bump- 24 Weeks

This is my Baby Dakota bump at 24 weeks, front view.

Side view, 24 weeks

_________________________________________

In 2008 with Mason, 24 weeks

I saw my OB last week and I shared that I feel Dakota moving around ALL THE TIME! And he informed me that 2nd time moms have a thinner uterus which actually makes it easier for the baby to be mobile. It's not that there's more room, it's just not as tight of a space as it was the first pregnancy. So in reality, Baby Dakota really is moving ALL THE TIME!

I think she's going to come out either a ballerina or a cheerleader. I'm pretty sure she's been getting good practice in there lately!

Huh?!?

Dakota's gender ultrasound was done right at 19 weeks {nevermind the 18w6d mark at the top, my OB always extends the estimated due date by 1 day, just something he does & it confused the tech even though I insisted I knew my LMP, ovulation date & date of conception to the day because we were charting & planning...anywho}, and it took almost an hour to determine she's a girl. This technician wasn't as experienced as the one who did Mason's.

Well today on www.thebump.com there was a a preggers, let's call her Lisa, and she had an ultrasound gender photo VERY similar to Dakota's below {Lisa was 17 wks pregnant}, but when she went back for her 20 week appointment, they now say the baby is a BOY!

SHEESH, I'd be upset to be told incorrectly! I've done so much planning and have been sorting through Mason's old clothes already to consign/save for hand-me-downs, and there's a laundry list of crafts and sewing projects...all for a GIRL!

For Comparison

Here's Dakota's booty shot:

Here's Mason's booty shot:

I definitely see a difference, but the absence of a penis in an ultrasound doesn't automatically make the baby a girl...in fact the 3 defining lines are necessary to determine gender. Dakota's 3 lines are there, but so was Lisa's in her first ultrasound.

I'm already calling to schedule an elective ultrasound. Plus, it would be nice to actually see her fingers and toes this time {I saw them with Mason, but Dakota had her hands in a fist and was moving too much}.

Burn Baby Burn (WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES)

Mason developed a weird rash tonight, it must itch and is definitely a sensitive spot. I didn't notice it at all until I drew his bathwater (~7:45pm) and he yelped when the hot water touched it and then later kept lifting his shirt and poked at it with a toy.

It's on his trunk in 3 areas. The largest 2 are almost symmetrical, placed right below the ribs. The third spot is right under his belly button. WEIRD!

He has a very low-grade temp (100.9 rectal) and no other symptoms. And NO, this post is not going in the journal...but I did want to post pics in case any one can give their Mommy advice so I don't have to pay out-of-pocket expenses to go to the Pedi just to have them tell me there's nothing they can do (DARN, why did this have to happen right after my former employer cancelled insurance but before my individual BCBS picks up on June 1?).

I'm going to monitor to see if it spreads and then will call the Pedi tomorrow morning to see what they say. I did do the "glass tumbler check" and know that it's not a petechial rash (so it's NOT meningitis) I'm sure he's likely fine... It is possible we could have had secondary contact from someone whose child has hand-foot-mouth disease today BUT she was still very careful and I made sure to use Purell the moment we hit the car and there wasn't any direct contact. Although if it were HFM disease then at least it'd be an "easy cure" with at-home remedies (HFM Disease is viral & there aren't clinical treatments it just has to run its course). Who knows!

Favorite Mommy Things

This is a quick list of some of my favorite baby investments. I've meant to do this for some time but I suppose late is better than never. Oh and I've had a year to let my opinions on the purchases "marinate" so perhaps they can be of help to others:

1. Storksak Gigi Diaper Bag- I'd had another bag for months, but realized that I don't really like the "baby looking" diaper bags and preferred something more discreet and with more pockets and dividers for organization. This bag is beautiful, the handles adjust for a stroller accordingly and the only negative is that my small infant child chewed on the straps and there's a mark on one of them.2. Pottery Barn Bassinet- This was a sizable splurge. And Mason only slept in it for maybe the first 2 or 3 months of his life. But I don't regret it one bit. It's still an heirloom piece that I've aesthetically enjoyed more than any other bassinet I've seen. 3. Polo Ralph Lauren Clothes- An infant hits growth spurts and will shoot out of his clothes in no time, but I've had too much fun playing dress up to notice. And admittedly, I've made horrible clothes choices probably spending somewhere close to $300 on smocked clothes; with at least half of those that will end up never being worn {wrong size for the season or I just decided it was too frilly} or that will only be worn once. Bad, bad investments...must RESELL!

But I waited and purchased all of his Polo RL clothes on clearance so there's not been one complaint from me. Mason is petite so he was able to stay in the infant sizes all year; although Polo RL runs small {well, I like to say it runs "true to size"...potatoes...potahhtoes"}. But his 12-month outfits are starting to fit snuggly. Thankfully the great thing about button-down shirts is that you can roll the sleeves up when they're too large and do the same thing again when it's too small for a preppy casual look.

4. CatBird Baby Pikkolo Carrier- I have 3 different baby carriers, and babywearing is something I support...particularly for nursing newborns. My all-time favorite is still the Pikkolo. I rave about it {HERE}. Oh and I can still carry Mason comfortably, only now he's worn like a backpack.

5. Pedipeds- These shoes are the bomb! They have a flexible leather sole that's durable enough for outdoor wear, but it ingeniously allows for movement...considered "the next best thing to being barefoot." I'm still sick over the fact that I lost one of the shoes. Mason is walking in stiff-soled shoes, but something I think around the house it'd be better for him to wear these rather than just his socks {which can sometimes bunch up and trip him}. 6. Boon Squirt Feeding Spoon- I cannot count the number of times that people have stopped us in restaurants after they're in awe of this cool contraption. It's a huge lifesaver when feeding on-the-go. The squeezable rubber compartment acts as an insulator for the baby food and you can actually fit about 6 oz of baby food inside. I've learned however to make sure that I only use Stage 1 or very pureed Stage 2 foods because anything with lumps will not squirt correctly.

7. Boon Flair High Chair- Wow! Can I just add that this high chair may be my all-time favorite purchase PERIOD. It's extraordinarily easy to clean up, I roll Mace around the floor like he's on an amusement park ride, it's a sleek and non-invasive design, and I really like that it easily adjusts heights so I can sit him at the kitchen island, the table, or even wheel him in front of me while I'm on the sofa. Amazing!

8. BOB Sport Utility Jogging Stroller- I use my Chicco travel system stroller for store trips, but there's no way that I'd be able to run without this jogger. The BOB was graciously gifted to us from Gigi and Grandadder before Mason was even born. It's been a life saver. I've kept sane by being able to exercise with Mason and right now I'm just itching for it to get warm again so we can go back out to the park for a jog. It's also the best BOB for us because of the natural park trails where we run; the suspension is a great feature!

Get Well Soon

Thank you so much everyone for your thoughts and prayers. It was so sweet for those that messaged, e-mailed, or called to check up on us...we're definitely loved!

I wanted to share a few quick things that I've learned so that maybe it'll help other mommies who haven't yet experienced this.

FRIDAY

Friday I took Mason into the Dr's office because I worried about him having more than a simple cold; I knew this time it wasn't just teething {symptoms blew up overnight}. Dr. C found that Mason had double ear infections and he prescribed the antibiotic Amoxicillin which helps treat bacterial infections. Mason was prescribed Amoxicillin in December and it caused such a nasty diaper rash that it actually scarred part of his little booty {still there from 1.5 months ago} NOT COOL! What I had previously researched was that antibiotics can cause diarrhea {yep} and a yeast diaper rash {duh}, but what hadn't been shared was that no amount of Desitin / A+D ointment / Boudreax's Butt Paste, airing out of his diaper, or using a washcloth and water instead of wipes, would help "cure" the open-wound rash.

Finally, I had a nurse recommend putting Lotrimin AF {yes, the antifungal cream used for Athlete's Foot} in addition to all the other steps. It cleared EVERYTHING up that very day...perhaps within hours.

Thank you God!

MONDAY

Monday morning, Mason's symptoms were only worse.

That's not supposed to happen.

We made yet another visit to Dr. C and found that Mason has Bronchiolitis that progressed from RSV; the great news is that we caught it pretty early. The other piece of good news is that if he had to catch this virus, it's a blessing that he didn't get this at an earlier age {under 6 months and they often hospitalize for RSV or progressive infections caused by RSV}.

By the way, aside from acquiring a virus through eyes, nose, mouth, or inhalation {like when someone coughs}, germs from RSV virus can live for hours on an object or surface. And the virus is so contagious that exposure to a contaminated item pretty much means you'll catch RSV. YUCKY!

Mason's looking up what Dr. Sear's has to say about RSV and Bronchiolitis.

I'm administering an Albuterol inhalant every 4 hours as needed. Mason's been great about the inhaler and actually smiles and laughs during the treatment. What a sweet baby!

TUESDAY
I actually woke with a sore throat and a cloudy head. I took a "sick day" to care for Mason and myself. After some rest my symptoms were relieved on their own as the day progressed.

Mason, on the other hand was feeling much, much better. Here he is playing Hide and Go Seek with the bifold doors yesterday.

TODAY {WEDNESDAY}

Mason seems to be doing quite well. I'm hoping that he'll be fully recovered this week. Tomorrow's his birthday and I'm remembering that it's ironic that this time last year I had a cold during labor and delivery with him. My throat was slightly sore this morning, but again it's definitely better since I've been up and active.

Hopefully our household will be healthy and happy ASAP!

Breaks My Heart

So it started with a blank stare...

And he just didn't seem himself...
Poor little guy...

Last Friday I took Mason into the Dr because there were signs that it was beyond just a cold. Yep, double ear infections.

Over the weekend, the antibiotics caused a horrible yeasty diaper rash {the December antiobiotics caused a scar!}. TODAY he began wheezing. Time to revisit Dr. C and we now know Mason has RSV. The dirty 3-letter acronym. STINK!

We don't even fit into any of the risk categories, but I did make 2 bad moves last week:

1. Mason visited the church nursery
2. I put Mason in the gym childcare {and even though he didn't last but 20 min, he could have easily caught something}.
   

This sad face just breaks my heart!

10-Months Old

At 10-months, Mason's...

...had his eyes checked at the Optometrist's office. I'm legally blind without corrective lenses, so I'm concerned about his eyesight as he gets older and was curious as to whether they could predict if he'd need corrective lenses in the future. Mason's eyesight is perfect now; HOWEVER, at his age he should be slightly farsighted (like a +2). It appears likely that he'll be slightly nearsighted as he ages. *sigh* At least we know ahead of time.

...wants down so he can move around all the time. I'm not really sure how our next flight is going to be since he never wants to sit still anymore. I can barely take a picture of him now at our house.

...starting to have horrible sleeping habits again. As we're still weaning {we're just about there!}, he's started the nasty routine of waking up around 1:30/2am and then I've let him fall asleep with me because I've been too tired to go through the 15-20 minute back-to-sleep process in the middle of the night. Here he is one night when I was just being ornery and flashing the camera phone in his eyes. He actually thought it was funny...you can see his little smirk...what a booger!
...climbing on everything. He is quite the destructive little guy. One day last week he pulled down an accent table (and contents), a fabric bolt, the kitchen trashcan, a lamp, and this bouncy seat.

...wanting to feed himself, but not quite there dexterity-wise. He makes the biggest messes. And while he'll take a sippy cup for a little while, he still prefers the bottle.

...quite the flirt! Mason loves to be the center of attention, and he enjoys being around people who will smile with him. He's starting to wave more {random times} and when he hears excitement in someone's voice, he'll clap for them.

...not walking. He stands well and he's taken steps a few more times, but just doesn't seem interested in working on walking proficiently. With his adventurous destructions, I'm not going to complain that it's not figured out yet. In fact, I may just push him down whenever he tries to take steps {ONLY KIDDING!}.

Mommy Questions

The thing about Parenting is...there's no manual. There are so many decisions, big and small, that must be made regarding the safety, health, and upbringing of children. So it's no surprise that Mommies turn to their mothers, family members, friends, medical professionals, and the Internet for suggestions and advice.

And while I don't necessarily think the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the know-all, end-all...they're certainly some of the best medical experts out there. Personally I haven't followed all of the AAP recommendations, but for the most part I find them a healthy guide. I think you should use your own Mommy intuition which trumps their advice...unless of course you have poor Mommy skills/intuition {**insert chuckle**}. Here are some of the more common Mommy questions and the AAP's opinion on the issues:

How early can I start my child on solid foods?

Most babies are ready between 4-6 months.

When can my child be in a forward-facing car seat?

At minimum, they should be at least 22 lbs AND 1 year old. {there's a joint conditional here}.

What are the safest sleep conditions / How can I reduce SIDS?

Place baby on their back to sleep, the safest place to sleep is in the same room {but not in the same bed}, and bumpers should not be "pillow" like. Find more HERE

Should we circumcise our son?

It's a personal opinion; HERE are the pros and cons to both options.

Should I breastfeed my baby?

Breastfeeding is the best nutrition for baby, it provides important disease and infection-fighting substances, and there are many psychological and medical benefits for both mother and baby.

Baby Proofing

Mason is mobile! I have some great clear videos on one camera...the one where I can't find the right USB cord. But I'll post the climbing and cruising video once I figure that puzzle out. In the meantime, our house is yet again drastically changing as baby proofing has taken over.

Here's a sample:

These items are all installed or ordered {thank goodness}, but I still have a Baby Proofing To Do List:

• remove all rubber doorstops, replace with ?
• relocate all plants
• buy a fireplace screen
• secure all cords
• figure out what to do with all the items under my open-cabinet kitchen island
• crawl around on Mason's level throughout the home to figure out what he's going to pull down, pull up on, push over, etc.

Some Highly Opinionated Mommy Thoughts

{below post not going into Mason's journal}

I subscribe to most of the Attachment Parenting's eight principles:

1. Preparation for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting
2. Feed with Love and Respect
3. Respond with Sensitivity
4. Use Nurturing Touch
5. Ensure Safe Sleep, Physically and Emotionally
6. Provide Consistent Loving Care
7. Practice Positive Discipline
8. Strive for Balance in Personal and Family Life

I have the Dr. Sear's Baby Bible Book and get current e-mail updates on tips notes and suggestions for parenting too (so there!).

• Despite some challenges at the beginning of my pregnancy, I was probably the happiest I've been in my life (well up until M's birth) as a preggers; had a healthy labor and delivery and bonded well with M even in the hospital
• I nurse on demand and for his comfort; he's also starting off with only organic foods
• M is very sensitive so I respond in-kind, being attentive to his mood changes and needs
• I babywear, especially when Mason's being clingy (ie. around teething time)
• We co-slept until he was 6 months (I only stopped because neither one of us was getting much sleep and I wasn't a very good mommy in that extraordinarily exhausted state)
• While I can't be with him all the time, I made sure to find a nanny who loves on M as if he were a family member of her own. She respects and follows my quasi-AP parenting style

____________________________

BUT there are some things I strongly dislike about some hardcore Attachment Parents. I especially hate when an AP mom is judgemental and condescending towards others if you don't follow all principles...or if you mention the word/terms: schedule, disposable diapers, or discipline. I've had AP moms look at me like I'm the devil.

A month ago I was just about flamed when I asked someone how they started their child on eating solids. Now grant it I started M on cereal at 4.5 months and he loved it, but when he reached 5 months he was "just not that into it" so I delayed until 6 months to try again following his readiness cues. My question to saidmom revolved around the feeding schedule and when it'd be a good time to introduce solids. And there was that AP dirty word, "schedule."

Get over it! The last AP principle is "Balance in personal and family life." I'm a single mother who works full-time AND travels for business so I often have to leave M with his nanny. M dictates his routine, and I've asked his nanny to follow his lead but he needs cues from us too because he's just a baby and doesn't always necessarily know why he's hungry/hurt/needing attention. So a flexible schedule/routine is a way to give him consistency and help with nurturing and providing security. I'll even go further with this suggesting that AP parents who don't encourage some sort of routine may be missing the point on the whole AP parenting thing in general. I'm not talking about a rigid schedule, watching the clock, or marking off a checklist, but I am talking about things like encouraging a child's bedtime by consistently starting a nighttime routine to encourage bedtime sleep (for us it's a long process of bath, special mommy and Mason bonding time, calm playtime, nursing, nursing, nursing, rocking and book, and down in the crib).

My question is- so when do AP parents do tasks like bathe their children (my son certainly doesn't give me cues that he's ready for bathtime, I initiate that activity)?

I'm definitely a quasi-Attachment Parenting parent; there can be different levels. And there's nothing wrong with that because a parent should recognize that not every child fits into a particular mold. My goal is to nurture and encourage the best health and development for my child in a loving and secure environment.

OK. Rant over.

So There's This Guy I've Been Sleeping With...

It's CONFESSION time.

So, there's this guy I've been sleeping with for almost 6 months now...and it's time to move him to the crib!

Mason's almost 6 months and we've been co-sleeping since he was born. It's a personal choice I made as a single mom...as a breastfeeding mom...as a quasi "Attachment Parenting" mom...and it's worked for us thus far. But he's at an age where he no longer requires nutrition during the night AND it's starting to get tough for both of us because we're waking each other up every two hours. I've also found he's beginning to rely on using me as his pacifier throughout the entire night...for comfort and not for milk (and it's starting to really hurt!). So it's time to wean him from my bed and to his big boy crib.

I'm not a fan of the Ferberzing "cry-it-out" method. The week before last and this past week when I was in town (I traveled to Orlando for 3 days on business), I had some success just nursing him to sleep and then placed him in the crib (although I must add that we went through this process a couple of times each night because the little booger was hyper-sensitive to me lowering him into the crib and would often wake up as soon as he felt I was moving him away from my body). And then this past week when I returned from 2 nights of being away, I let him co-sleep so we could rebond; this was also partially to reboost my supply which had taken a dip from being away from him for almost half the week (staying near your baby helps with lactation).But TONIGHT I let him cry-it-out. I felt not-so-great to let him do it and I'm actually typing this to try and keep occupied during the 10-minute intervals (I check on him every 10 minutes). He is DOG MAD!

Praise God! It took only 3 checks (where I went to his crib and patted him and tried to assure him that I was still there and love him). So that means he finally passed out on his own after ~30 minutes or so. I'm so happy he's asleep in his own crib but it sure does suck thinking about how mad and upset he was. At least he didn't cry himself to sleep. After 25 minutes, he began razzing so I knew he was fine. After a couple of minutes, he's out like a light!

Tonight didn't take that long for him to get to sleep, but I'm a little fearful for the nights when it might take an hour or more. I know I'll have to be consistent, but it really tugs on my heart strings when he cries...

It Breaks My Heart

It breaks my heart as Mason's breaking his gums for a tooth.

I took this one with my camera phone and didn't do the slobber trail justice. He literally soaked my entire sleeve with drool, and then with tears.

Cold washcloths, teething toys, an ice cube in a washcloth, his fingers, my knuckles...all of these will usually ease the hurt. But it doesn't change the fact that it's a slow painful process for us.

Mason's been sticking his tongue out. It kinda bugs me because I want to make sure it's not a sign of developmental delay. But at our last La Leche League meeting, someone pointed out that Mason is actually biting his tongue. Poor baby!

At our 4-month checkup, Dr. C noticed Mason's excessive drooling. He asked if this was new and then he beat me to the punch and said it's a little early, but it looks like he could be teething.

I didn't cut my first tooth until just before 7 months. I'm hoping it won't take that long for Mason's first to actually break through.

Things I Wish I'd Known About Breastfeeding

...that it's not really FREE. You have to invest in things like a pump, nursing bras, milk storage bags, and nursing pads.

...that all of my tops are too tight while I'm still nursing Mason. I'm guessing that after we wean, I'll have opposite sizing issues.

...that out of my entire closet, probably only 4 or 5% of my clothes will be worn due to the mechanics of breastfeeding (ie. no one-piece dresses unless the top part can easily be pulled down, or unbuttoned).

...that using a breast pump will make me feel like a dairy cow, will sometimes hurt, and be annoying to hook-up to.

...that I have an insatiable thirst and crave the most fattening foods throughout the day.

...that no matter how hard I try, I'm still not comfortable nursing in front of other people even while completely covered.

...that because of the above, I have to predetermine the logistics of any outing/errand/visit/visitor/activity/etc.

And even after all of that- I'm so thankful to be able to nurse Mason

...because I eat more now than when I was preggers AND after 2 1/2 months, I've already lost 40 lbs of the pregnancy weight (16 lbs more to go!).

...because he can get his food on demand (it's ready on-the-spot) and I don't have to mix or heat up a bottle every time.

...because when he's upset or injured (read here and here), I can nurse him and he immediately falls into a euphoric state of joy.

...because it costs less.

...because it's helping build his immune system, blah blah, it's the best nutrition for him, blah blah, I have a very healthy and rapidly progressive infant, blah blah... (note the "blah blah"s are not sarcastic inserts but rather fillers for the standard pros that we all know about the health benefits of breastfeeding).

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Other pointless tidbits

Obviously, my perception of Breastfeeding has changed from 6 months ago and it's amazing to me that we've only been doing this 2.5 months...I feel like it's been twice as long. Mason's a "pro" at breastfeeding; he's still a voracious eater, nursing 8-9 times a day and taking around 30-35oz a day. I currently have a stash of 80+ storage bags- that's more than 325oz of milk! I'm using up 1.5 shelves of my freezer and will invest in a deep freezer eventually. I've also sewn my own pair of reusable nursing pads as a cost-saving move (a box of 60 disposables can cost from $6-10).

got milk?

What a sucker!

Actually, we've had a great past 4 1/2 weeks with the whole nursing bit. Mason has been a barracuda baby and I've had more than adequate supply-so much that when we weighed this past weekend, Mason is now at 10 lbs 2 oz. Yep, in 4 1/2 weeks, he's gained 3.5 lbs! He cluster-fed at week 3 because of this growth spurt, and while my little chunk is filling-out so quickly, I keep reading that breastfed babies can't nurse too often. Evidently if he does, he'll spit up the excess.

Mason's a "boob man"

We attended a La Leche League meeting a week ago because I was interested in a breastfeeding support network and resources, especially for when I return to work. Ideally I'd like to breastfeed at least 1 year, but I'm making my goals in 3-month increments. I feel really good about our Nursing- we've bonded, we're latching properly, I'm not "damaged," we've tried out every position, Mommy's losing weight, but most importantly he's gaining weight in the healthiest way possible.

Stocking up

From 1 1/2 weeks, I've been trying to build up a freezer stash. Mason does a great job with the bottle and doesn't seem to have any nipple confusion issues. Pumping-wise, I've expressed around 150oz so far and have stored a little more than 40 bags, although we've tapped into that supply to introduce the bottle to Mason.

Got Milk?

I'd like to increase my supply slightly so I'll have an adequate freezer supply; I've tried a few galactagogues. Mother's Milk Tea doesn't seem to significantly increase my supply nor does it appear to affect my let-down. Today I baked some Lactation Cookies and they're very yummy! Even if these don't increase my supply, I'm happy to gulp these down!

Here's the recipe, it makes a huge batch.

Our First Pediatrician Visit

Before our Hospital discharge, Mason was checked over and his bilirubin level was a little high (slightly Jaundiced) and his weight had dropped 4oz to a body weight of 6lbs 6oz (weight loss is common in newborns and is typically not of concern until it drops more than 10%). Our Pediatrician wanted us to come in for a visit after the weekend so we could check things out just to make sure the little guy was doing okay.

So Monday afternoon, we hopped in the car and went to see Dr. C

Everything went great!

Our bili levels were still elevated, but not increased AND Mr. Mason is indeed a little piggy...he weighed in at 6lbs 12oz, gaining 6oz in 3 days and surpassing his birthweight within the first week.

So we stuck him in a window and his Mommy doesn't worry now about whether he's getting enough to eat.