We didn't want to start day care with the pacifier, so over the past few weeks I have been making them "disappear". It really has not been hard. Since Melia started teething she has used them more to chew on than anything else.
I never really wanted to get her attached to the binkie in the first place. I knew that breastfed babies should not get a pacifier til at least one month so that proper latch is established. The night before she turned one month was our first trip to the ER. The doctor thought she had a pyloric stenosis, so he sent us to All Children's to get checked out. When we arrived, she was hungry, but they told me not to feed her in case she needed surgery. So I was letting her suck on my finger when the nurse walked in. Now she wasn't crying or fussing, I just knew sucking on my finger was comforting for her. Anyway, the dumb nurse came in and asked me if she used a pacifier, to which I replied "no". Then she proceeds to ask me if that is my choice or Melia's choice. Yes moron - the 4 week old baby told me she doesn't want a pacifier! She proceeded to stick the pacifier in sugar water and put it in Melia's mouth. I did everything I could to not knock the lady out. But that was our introduction to the binkie.
Long story, but she has weaned herself from the binkie and the one from the hospital is the first one going in the trash!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Nursing
**DISCLAIMER: This blog is not about the profession. It is about boobs. If this offends you, makes you uncomfortable or grosses you out, read another post.
I knew when I got pregnant that I wanted to breastfeed. During my pregnancy I read a lot so I would be prepared to be successful. I have 2 sisters with kids - one who didn't breastfeed and one who nursed her daughter to a year. The WHO and AAP recommend breastfeeding to at least a year. I did a lot of research and this was my goal. Breastfeed til the baby turned one.
Well I have to admit, breastfeeding was not as "easy" as I thought it would be. For those of you that have followed the Baby Webb Blog, you know we had to feed Melia every 2 hours, 24 hours a day for the first month. Feeding a preemie is timed like contractions - start timing when you begin. So if she started eating at 2P, we had to feed her again at 4P. Not a big deal right? BS! When she was a newborn it took her 45 minutes to nurse. The burp her, change her, etc... and start all over. There was no time to sleep, eat or even pee!
Based on our beginnings, and knowing that preemies thrived more on breastmilk, I made a promise to myself to nurse her to a month. I could at least make it to her due date. When I hit that goal, I set a goal of 3 months or when I went back to work. When I went back to work I knew keeping up nursing would be hard. My job requires a lot of travel and day long meetings. Going back to work had a HUGE affect on my milk supply. I have had to work really hard at pumping regularly to keep up with Melia's growing demands. Not to mention flying with a breastpump and milk, pumping while visiting other ACS offices, finding a place to pump at my office. So my next goal was 6 months.
I am proud to say we have been able to nurse Melia exclusively for 6 months. Besides the first few days in the hospital, we have not supplemented at all. I am not knocking mothers who choose formula, but breastfeeding was important to Chris and I for numerous reasons. My new goal is my original goal - make it to a year. We are staring solids this week and that is technically the beginning of "weaning". We have built my supply back up and made it through lots of obstacles breastfeeding. I feel proud of our accomplishments and proud of myself. Now we just need to make it through teething....
I knew when I got pregnant that I wanted to breastfeed. During my pregnancy I read a lot so I would be prepared to be successful. I have 2 sisters with kids - one who didn't breastfeed and one who nursed her daughter to a year. The WHO and AAP recommend breastfeeding to at least a year. I did a lot of research and this was my goal. Breastfeed til the baby turned one.
Well I have to admit, breastfeeding was not as "easy" as I thought it would be. For those of you that have followed the Baby Webb Blog, you know we had to feed Melia every 2 hours, 24 hours a day for the first month. Feeding a preemie is timed like contractions - start timing when you begin. So if she started eating at 2P, we had to feed her again at 4P. Not a big deal right? BS! When she was a newborn it took her 45 minutes to nurse. The burp her, change her, etc... and start all over. There was no time to sleep, eat or even pee!
Based on our beginnings, and knowing that preemies thrived more on breastmilk, I made a promise to myself to nurse her to a month. I could at least make it to her due date. When I hit that goal, I set a goal of 3 months or when I went back to work. When I went back to work I knew keeping up nursing would be hard. My job requires a lot of travel and day long meetings. Going back to work had a HUGE affect on my milk supply. I have had to work really hard at pumping regularly to keep up with Melia's growing demands. Not to mention flying with a breastpump and milk, pumping while visiting other ACS offices, finding a place to pump at my office. So my next goal was 6 months.
I am proud to say we have been able to nurse Melia exclusively for 6 months. Besides the first few days in the hospital, we have not supplemented at all. I am not knocking mothers who choose formula, but breastfeeding was important to Chris and I for numerous reasons. My new goal is my original goal - make it to a year. We are staring solids this week and that is technically the beginning of "weaning". We have built my supply back up and made it through lots of obstacles breastfeeding. I feel proud of our accomplishments and proud of myself. Now we just need to make it through teething....
Day Care / Paternity Leave
Chris goes back to work this week. Melia has been so lucky that her daddy was able to take 12 weeks paternity leave to be home with her. Chris took his leave when I went back to work so we could delay putting Melia in day care. Because it is a holiday week, I took Wednesday and Thursday off so we could delay day care another week.
We put a lot of working into finding the right day care. A place that has some of our same ideals for childcare, convenient location, small child/provider ratio. I think we made a good choice, and I am confident she will get great care there. But I still wish that one of us could stay home with her. Neither of us are in a line of work that provides that kind of income, and I don't play the lotto enough to make that happen.
Because of Chris' line of work, we are privy to lots of details about childcare centers. We have done a lot of homework and I know that this is a safe place. But every day in the news there is something about day cares. Good things... and bad things.... If only the money tree in the backyard would grow!
The worst part about her starting day care is how much I am going to miss. I would miss those things anyway with work, but it would be easier if she had those milestones at home with daddy. She is so close to crawling (I am working with her every night so she can crawl before next week!). She is doing new things every day. I really need to hire a housekeeper because all I want to do when I get home from work is love on Melia.
This part of being a grown up really stinks. I am going outside to plant more money trees!!!
We put a lot of working into finding the right day care. A place that has some of our same ideals for childcare, convenient location, small child/provider ratio. I think we made a good choice, and I am confident she will get great care there. But I still wish that one of us could stay home with her. Neither of us are in a line of work that provides that kind of income, and I don't play the lotto enough to make that happen.
Because of Chris' line of work, we are privy to lots of details about childcare centers. We have done a lot of homework and I know that this is a safe place. But every day in the news there is something about day cares. Good things... and bad things.... If only the money tree in the backyard would grow!
The worst part about her starting day care is how much I am going to miss. I would miss those things anyway with work, but it would be easier if she had those milestones at home with daddy. She is so close to crawling (I am working with her every night so she can crawl before next week!). She is doing new things every day. I really need to hire a housekeeper because all I want to do when I get home from work is love on Melia.
This part of being a grown up really stinks. I am going outside to plant more money trees!!!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Melia's Baptism
Melia was baptized this morning - Sunday, June 14th at Church of the Ascension in Clearwater, FL. It was also our wedding anniversary! Since she was named after the place we were married, I thought it was neat that she was baptized on our anniversary.
My mom made Melia's christening gown. She looked like a little angel. And she managed to not spit up on the gown until after the service! She didn't cry or fuss at all with the water. She was just perfect!
We are blessed with amazing friends and family. We had over 25 people join us at church and a reception afterwards. Chris' mom held a small gathering after the service at her house.
Melia has an amazing godmother (who got all her lines right!). She got the cake, helped me (MomZilla) get ready for the party and got Melia a super special bracelet for her christening day. I just wish Melia could keep it on. It is just big enough that she can slip it off of her wrist to play with it. At least she kept it on for some pictures.
Today was such a special day for our family. We are so thankful for everyone that attended and played a part in our baby girls big day!
5 Months Old!
It is hard to believe my baby girl will be 5 months old tomorrow. She has gotten so big! We weighed her today and she is 12lbs 13oz. Almost 3 times her birth weight! She is finally starting to grow out of her 0-3 month clothes and into the 3-6 month size.
Melia is starting to teeth - drooling and chewing on everything. She rolls over both ways and scoots a little bit. No attempts at crawling yet, but I am not in a rush for that anyway! We have decided to wait to start solids until 6 months for various reasons. She is doing great with nursing. I am so happy we have been able to keep nursing since I went back to work.
Chris has been on leave with Melia for 2 months now. He goes back to work the week of July 4th. He is such an amazing daddy. I am so happy they got this time together. We spent today checking out different day care centers in the area. I am happy with our choice, but still wish money grew on trees so we could both stay home with her.
Love our little peanut!
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