Rules of Pinterest

While many people are addicted to and use Pinterest on a daily basis, I think it’s abused more than it’s used.  Let me explain…

Pinterest needs rules.  Pinning things because for the sheer joy of pinning and oogling serves no purpose.  Do you go back to your board and oogle the pins again? Or do they sit at the bottom of the board and feel neglected? Rule No. 1 – Pin useful items.  If you’re crafty, pin away, but try to tackle a pin at least once a month!  If you’re in the mood to try new recipes, TRY THEM.  Yes, the pictures make the food look absolutely delicious, and if the food was in front of me, I would like to believe I would devour it. Therefore, you should make an effort to try a new pinned recipe every week.

Rule No. 2 – Give the pins useful names.  Names such as “Cute!”, “Yummy”, “I can do this”, or nothing are not helpful in determining whether I want to try said item.  If you do not give the pin a proper name, I have to click on the pin, then the link, scroll through a blog, and read about the pin.  More effort than I want to give on a fly-by pinning episode.  So please, if it’s a great new chicken pot pie recipe, make “chicken pot pie” the title and add all your commentary afterwards if you feel it’s necessary.  Though I ask that you PLEASE refrain…there’s a comment section for a reason.

Rule No. 3 – If it’s a food item, please don’t pin just a picture with no recipe.  Oh, here’s something that looks sinfully delicious, but you can’t have the recipe because all I pinned was a jpeg.  You suck. The same goes for crafts.  I am not crafty, I need as detailed instructions (and pictures) as possible.  So please, be kind to your other pinners, and don’t be a tease!

I am sure there are more Pinterest pet peeves and rules that I will think of, but for now, please considering following these 3.

The Blog Lives On...

As Aidan becomes more active, I find it difficult to have time to update the blog.  When he sleeps, I clean up, plan out meals, and shop the circulars for the best deals.  I hardly turn on my computer, unless it’s pinning pinterest things while I am holding Aidan while he eats (and sometimes sleeps).

Since the last post, Aidan has tried bananas, green peas, and sweet potato.  Bananas went over well, though it stains clothes and Shout does not seem to remove the stains.  Green pears – well, he made a face at the peas and slowly ate them, however, after the forth feeding attempt, he gobbled his peas up.  Sweet potatoes – not so good.  He barely finished his first serving, refused the second, and on the third day, I had to mix in oatmeal before he would eat the sweet potatoes.  All of his food is mixed in with breast milk so he has a familiar taste, but apparently, it does not work with sweet potatoes.  He was SO excited to eat, and I think he was utterly disappointed when he tasted sweet potatoes.  Next week, I will reintroduce the foods he liked  - oatmeal and avocado.

Aidan has rolled from his stomach to back, but only on the left side.  He rolls fairly quickly when he is laid on his stomach.  He has also started balancing like a tripod for a few seconds before falling over, so sitting up is next...if he wants to.

I swear he mimics our dogs whining when he fusses sometimes.  It's funny to me, and I know he picks up other sounds around him.

Aidan had his first ear infection - in fact, it was a double ear infection.  Why have one when you can have two???  He loves his medicine, but oh my, it brings back newborn blow outs.  He went through a lot of outfits because neither a disposable or cloth diaper could contain his messes.  Hope you weren't eating your lunch while reading this.

 Short post for a 3 week update, and I wish I had time to discuss some of the recipes I tried on pinterest, but there's a fussy kid in a swing refusing to sleep despite rubbing his eyes. The play something country trick isn't effective today.  He must have figured out my strategy.

What's the Point of Pinterest?

Google GmailYahoo MailHotmailAOL MailAny email    

If you don't have Pinterest, you could count yourself lucky, but secretly wonder if you are being left out of something spectacular.  Pinterest did provide me two good recipes, but also gave me a dud.  I am amazed that I was able to try three recipes in one week in addition to making a diaper cake for a baby shower on Thursday!  Maybe that's why I have limited time to sleep...

The first of the Two Thumbs Up Recipes is Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's the link to the original recipe: http://chocolateandcarrots.com/2011/07/flourless-fudge-chocolate-chip-cookies

Original Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder

1/8 tsp. salt
2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups 60% cacao chocolate chips

Instead of using egg whites, I used whole eggs.  I am thinking that the recipe was developed for those with allergies to gluten and/or eggs.  I also decreased the salt to a pinch.  Otherwise, I followed the directions. Thus...

3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups 60% cacao chocolate chips

  

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.
3. Beat in the vanilla and eggs until the batter is moistened.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips. (Next time, trying semi or milk chocolate)
5. Scoop the batter by the tablespoon full onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread.
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.
7. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
8. My one addition...add vanilla frosting to the top of the cookie and enjoy!  I love sweets, so while the fudgey cookie was delicious, I needed a little more oomph of sugar.

Chicken and Rice Slow Cooker Casserole

Here's the link to the original recipe: http://www.southernplate.com/2010/09/slow-cooker-cheesy-chicken-and-rice-the-downside-of-being-a-swan-princess.html

• 4 bonless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 10 oz yellow rice
• 2 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
• 1 -15 ounce bag of frozen corn, drained

I had pulled chicken from the freezer to thaw out for this recipe, but it wasn't completely dethawed before I attempted to make this recipe, but I tried it anyway with great results.  So this recipe can have partially frozen chicken breasts and still turn out great!

I place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot, topped with the cream of chicken, and diced the onion and threw it in the pot.  I set the crock pot on low for 8 and walked away.  I came back around dinner time, cooked the rice and corn, threw these two items in the pot, then added 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese.  After the cheese melted, I stirred everything together and served with garlic bread.  Very good dinner and so easy.  I should add that I did use a knife to cut the chicken breasts into 8 pieces and then stirred the mixture - the chicken fell apart really well.

I'll save the dud recipe for another day when there's more time, but I will say I was disappointed in the Buffalo Chicken Rolls, but I think it's due to the shell.  I do love blue cheese, hot sauce, and chicken, so I am going to rip open the shells and eat the mixture with cheddar cheese and whole wheat dipping chips!

Where Has January Gone?

So my attempt to update weekly and provide more quality posts has failed on the first week.  Oh well, such is life with active baby who needs a lot of attention and love.  So we have weeks 20 and 21 to update, though no huge development separates the two weeks, so maybe it's time for biweekly updates instead of weekly.  I seem to be able to manage an update every other week.

After doing more research, we decided it was time to let Aidan start practicing to eat.  This did not mean put cereal in a bottle in attempt to hold him over, but to let he learn how to eat off a spoon, not thrust out his tongue, and to swallow.  Since oatmeal cereal has the benefit of iron, I bought an organic oatmeal cereal to begin the process.  I mixed the cereal with an ounce of breast milk so it had a familiar taste and provide the liquid consistency the food needed.  We gave him oatmeal once almost every day for a week to ensure no allergic reaction.  Oatmeal is least likely to cause a reaction, however, to follow the precautions suggested by AAP, we are not introducing a new food until we have tried the previous one for 4 consecutive days without reaction.

Aidan trying avocado!

The second food we gave Aidan was fresh avocado and breast milk.  He loved it!  He grabs the spoon from us and cries when we take too  long to give him more.  We'll try this for an entire week before moving on to a banana.  Making the avocado food for Aidan was pretty simple - cut open an avocado, scrape out the meat, blend it in a food processor (or nut chopper) until creamy, and then scoop out a serving size and dilute it with breast milk.  The rest I either refrigerated or made individual servings to freeze.  Avocado turns grey quickly, so it needs to be refrigerated or frozen for preservation.  We'll see how it goes...

Daycare, well one person there, would prefer I give cereal in his bottle to help hold him over longer.  However, when someone else watches him, he eats 6 ounces every 3 hours, so I feel like they are giving in too soon or he is comfort feeding.  Either way, daycare makes it hard to keep up with what they are feeding.  Thank goodness for 4 day weekends every other week, otherwise, I would be pulling from the freezer stash.  I highly doubt they want to feed him solids as messy as it is right now, but if the lady brings it up again, I'll offer to let her feed him solids, not cereal in his milk.

Aidan loves to sleep on his stomach, though he doesn't tolerate much tummy time.  This week, he took his first nap in the crib on his stomach - 2 hours!  When he woke up, he lifted his head up and began crying...guess he didn't like being on his stomach anymore!  Oh well.  He still seems to have no interest in rolling over - he gets as far as his side and then rolls to the other side.  He'll do it when he's ready, no rush.

The Nineteenth Week

So I felt like the past two posts, which cover 4 weeks, were more about quantity than quality. I am not sure how I resolve this, but I do like that I have a document of how Aidan progressed, and I know there are people near and far that read this to keep up on Aidan (and maybe AJ and I…). This blog is now Life with Aidan, so you will have to read about AJ and I and not just enjoy the cutesy photos and updates on how much he is growing. J So I am hoping to write a little something each day so at the end of the week, I have thoughts I can tie together instead trying to remember the week, which is a complete blur believe it or not! Here goes nothing…

First, I would like to mention that I have been pumping at work for 6 entire weeks. I am slightly annoyed with having to carry my pump back and forth to work each day, but it won’t stop me from my original goal of 6 months. Recently, I decided that my new goal should be 9 months since solids are not meant to be a nutritional sustenance, just a practice how to eat.  Really, 1 year would be ideal, but I will make that decision down the road.  Right now, 8 more months seems overwhelming, but as quick as time as flown, I am sure 1 year will be here before I know it.

On beginning solids: From all the research I have done, with a big source being the American Association of Pediatrics, I want to wait as close to 6 months as possible.  We might start practicing with oatmeal soon, but he tongue reflexes show that he is not ready. However, after our pediatric appointment last Friday, AJ would like to start ASAP because the doctor stated that cereal might get Aidan back on his sleeping through the night schedule. Ahhh, parenting disagreement. Well, so far, no cereal, and you know what Aidan did Wednesday night?! He Slept Through the Night! Guess what he did Thursday night?! He Slept Through the Night! Just breastmilk, no crazy cereal that can constipate babies…I honestly believe we have a case of Sleep Regression (Dr. Google can tell you all about it) since Aidan was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks and increased that time from 6 hours to 10 hours over the course of several weeks. That’s not to say he didn’t wake up because he wanted his pacifier and had to be soothed back to sleep, but he did not need to feed in the middle of the night like he has been for the past month.

Aidan has his first cold, and he was so kind as to share it with me.  He despised the snot sucker, but it allowed him to breathe.  His behavior did not seem to change, and the coughing and sneezing did not seem to bother him.  The cold did ruin his sleep at night, and he threw a fit when I removed the snot from his nose in the middle of the night when he woke.  Oh well, kiddo, you have to be able to breathe!

In other news, AJ and I took a trip out to our land to plan out our home site. We have begun to look at house plans and begin to make "to-do" lists in order to be ready to build.  We took Aidan, of course!  He looked around a lot - plenty to see, though no animals ran across our path.  We have no official timeline, though sooner rather than later is the plan.  Building a house depends on selling our current house.  Good luck in this market, right?

So what did we learn about Aidan this week?  He loves to hang upside down!  He loves the excitement of daycare that he almost refuses to naps, which lead to me wearing him when I get home so that he will fall asleep!  He has learned how to touch the dogs, and it makes him very happy to interact with them.  He loves to sleep on his stomach - this scares me because of the SIDS risk, but if he manages to roll onto his stomach, then I feel I need to accept that he will sleep on his stomach. He can also hold his head up very well.  We also learned that if you give Aidan tummy time, even though he likes to sleep on his stomach, that eventually he will fuss and then fuss enough to flip over onto his back.  Lots of fussing to endure.  Aidan also loves to have his gums "brushed."  I am trying to get him into the habit of having something brush/clean his gums and tongue so that when the time comes, brushing teeth won't be a fight.  Hopefully.

http://willisaidan.shutterfly.com/

Happy New Year

Happy New Year...and no, I didn't make a resolution to be more timely with my blog posts.  I don't want to make promises I can't keep, though I always have good intentions on completely the blog on Saturday night.  Though, for some reason or another, it never happens.

Eighteenth Week

This was the first week of daycare, and while it was only 3 days, it completes our transition.  The ladies at daycare LOVE Aidan already, and everyone who works there wants to change his diapers because they think his cloth diapers are really cool.  On the first day, he had 8 dirty diapers, but he was only there for 8 hours.  I can't complain if Aidan is kept dry, even if they change him more than needed...The ladies were disappointed to learn that I had a four day weekend and wouldn't be seeing Aidan.  It's good to see them connected to Aidan and missing him.

On Friday, Aidan had his 4 month vaccinations.  He only had to have two shots this time, and while he did cry, he didn't stay upset for long.  I also nursed him immediately afterward, and it seems to help.  I gave him Tylenol hours afterwards in case of a fever, and we continued for 3 more times.  I'm not big on giving him medicine he doesn't need, but we didn't want a fever to occur because of the shots.  The wellness part of the check up went well - Aidan continues to grow at practically the same rate.  He was 26" long (90th percentile) and was 16.3 lbs (75-90th percentile).  The pediatrician did say that Aidan needed more tummy time since he wasn't rolling over, but we figured Aidan will do it when he wants to.  We're in no hurry, and we do give him tummy time.  In fact, he seems to enjoy it, and he can pick up and hold his head quite far.

Aidan and I (AJ had to work :( ) along with my parents, grandparents, and sister with her husband visited my brother and his wife for my brother's 27th birthday.  Aidan did very well, especially considering he had shots the previous day.  My brother cooked some delicious food, and we had the choice of cookie cake, pecan pie (I made) or pound cake (memaw made).  Mmm, good food was had by all.

This is my fifth week drinking tea that is suppose to increase the BM output, and from some research, I should do six weeks on, two weeks off.  Not sure I want to see if my supply dips, but maybe I should try the two weeks off.  So far, I haven't had an issue of not being able to pump enough for Aidan, however, if this week would have been a 4 day work week, I would have been pulling frozen milk for Aidan to have on Friday.  So I decided to make sure I wake up (even though I don't want to) around Aidan's early morning feeding to pump so I can have spare, fresh pumped milk.  We'll see how it goes...in a few short months, I hope to introduce solids.

Seventeenth Week

Since I waited so long to write this update, I am sure it's going to be brief.  I have to go by the pictures to know what actually occurred during the week.  Pictures are less frequent now that I am back at work, though I try to make up for it on the weekends.  On Monday, I had the day off, so my brother, his wife, and my parents came over to visit.  I love seeing my brother spend time with his nephew - I am sure he's going to teach him something car/mechanical related when Aidan is older. 

On Tuesday, my mom watched Aidan.  Not sure what mischievous things those two got into, but I did receive pictures while I was at work.  The pictures make my day a better and brighter. 

On Wednesday, my mom took Aidan to visit Memaw and Pepaw.  He apparently did really well on the car ride.  He also convinced M&P that no pants are needed when he's down at the beach, even when it is winter time.  Almost every picture I received had Aidan with a cloth diaper and a shirt on...though the weather was quite warm for this time of year.

Thursday and Friday, AJ's mom came in town to watch Aidan while AJ and I worked.  I think this was the first time that Pam had the opportunity to give Aidan a bath, and who wouldn't want to give him one!  He loves it, though now he splashes a lot more, so you have to be prepared to get soaked.

On Saturday, I went over to my parents with Aidan while AJ worked.  My parents bought an XBOX 360, a kinnect, and several games.  We played the XBOX for many hours.  Aidan watched me dance - it's a good thing he won't remember when he gets older.  Aidan went down before midnight, and I stayed up - barely!  We all celebrated with champagne, but went to bed shortly after.

Aidan seems to continue the sleep regression.  He wakes up around 11PM or midnight to feed.  He would normally sleep from 8:30 PM to 4AM give or take an hour before eating.  Sure, he would need to have his pacifier replaced or soothed back to sleep periodically, but not to eat.  It's a good thing we decided to co sleep right now because I feed him practically in my sleep, then he goes right back to sleep.

Merry Christmas

So I missed an update on the 15th Week...I had every intention of doing it, just not enough time.  So let's do reverse chronological order of the events since that's how the blog posts would be if I completed them in time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Aidan definitely has some generous and loving family members!  He received a walker, a jumparoo, a playmat along with awesome penguin onesies, books, a blue glass sphere, miscellaneous toys, and silver dollars.  I think we'll start expanding the house next week so we have a place to store everything!  He loves his new toys, though Mr. 95th percentile is too short for the walker.  All in time, though...he has plenty of other toys to keep him busy (and worn out, extra cranky, and fighting sleep.)  Mom also made a really neat stocking - one side is John Deere (AJ) and one side is penguins (me, of course).  I can't imagine next year...and I think the givers were more excited than Aidan, but that's a good thing.  It's better to give than to receive or so "they" say. :) 


The Sixteenth Week

So this week is another transition week.  The fourteenth week was the transition of me going back to work.  The sixteenth week is the transition of having to deal with Aidan's sleep regression by ourselves and making it through the day with little sleep.  Hello Caffeine! and patience...  So apparently between the 3rd and 4th month, sleep regression can start to occur.  Google it.  For parents who experience this, it can make you frown, but it's just another stage that you think We can get through this, and we can.  Sooooo, we (well, Diana moreso than AJ) pulled sweet, little Aidan into the bed on Tuesday night.  Aidan didn't make a peep, and he did not stir when my alarm went off at 3:15AM.  I, of course, too, the bait and just KNEW that the entire week would be this way. 

Nope, AJ arrived home at 1:30 AM one night (out working), and Aidan woke up do to the dogs barking.  He was wet, so we changed him.  He was cranky and fussy, so we soothed him.  He might have been hungry, so I fed him.  While I enjoy nursing him, 2:15 am is a little late (or early) for me.  However, I laid on my side to allow Aidan to feed and fell asleep, and I can only assume he finished his meal and went to sleep since he had a content look on his face at 3:15 am.  Finally, another night, Aidan woke up periodicially; it seems he could not get settled.  Can I make it on 4 hours of sleep? Yes.  Do I want to? No.  But I wouldn't trade any sleep in the world for my sweet, baby boy.  I just drink more caffeine, and I was disappointed I had to jump off the no-caffeine wagon, but hey, gotta trudge through the day somehow!

The plus side to having mom watching Aidan as opposed to my wonderful Memaw is mom can send me pictures and texts through out the day.  I love seeing him randomly through out the day, though I do have a background on my computer that has 15-20 pictures of Aidan in a collage. 

 Mom tends to put Aidan in matching outfits, where Memaw chose clothes on a functional basis.  I did love to come home and see how Memaw dressed Aidan and hear why she decided to onesie on the outside of the pants. :) 
Going to work has become easier, though by Fridays, I am worn out and I am about out of fresh pumped breast milk.  It seems I have a hungry monster on my hands.  I pump 10-12 ounces in the morning and 15-18 ounces at work.  However, Aidan requires 30 ounces while I am away, so I have had to pull a little from the freezer stash.  But I think due to attending the company Christmas party and AJ taking Aidan to Hampton that I didn't have enough weekend extra milk to help the work week milk operation.  We shall see...

In other news, I did donate 65 oz of breastmilk to a mom and baby in need.  The mom wants her baby to have breastmilk due to allergic reactions to formula and her not being able to produce milk because of medication for lupus.  I felt so blessed that I could make this donation.  I still have 100+ oz of milk in the freezer, so Aidan would be taken care of if I were sick for a few days.

Towards the end of this week, Aidan has giggled and laughed a lot more frequently, and it melts my heart.  I love the noise of his giggles.  On Friday, my day off, Aidan and I sat in the living room, and he only had on a diaper.  I was blowing raspberries on his stomach, and he started laughing...so of course, I continued.  Then AJ was undressing Aidan on Saturday, and Aidan turned to his side and made it difficult to undress (purposefully if you ask me!).  So AJ would tug at the sleeve, and Aidan would giggle.  Oh my, love you so much baby boy.

The Fifteenth Week

This was Memaw's 2nd week of watching Aidan...she said the first week was exhausting, so I'm sure she is glad I had 4 day work weeks!  I was sad to see Memaw go because I love visiting with her and seeing her spending so much time with Aidan.  Memaw says that Aidan rolled unassisted (and without encouragement) from front to back!  Then he fussed and fussed because he did not want to be on his stomach, but he couldn't roll back over or even onto his side.  He'll learn.   He continues to enjoy his bath, but he is learning how to splash more and more.  If you don't want to get wet, then don't bathe Aidan!  He is so happy in his bath and gives the best smiles!

Aidan is still trying to master his jumparoo, which was an early Christmas present from Grammy and granddaddy (my parents).  He likes to sit in it, move a little, and yell at the toys attached.  Then he fusses and wants nothing to do with it.  I'm sure he'll love it one day, just like the swing, but not today.  December 17th, I attended my work Christmas party, and I had my first beer in almost a whole year, in fact, 51 weeks!  I had Bud Select 55 and Mich Ultra...yes, I still love light beers, none of the dark stuff for me.  I enjoyed the Christmas party, and of course, showed off pictures of Aidan.  Though I do miss him when I am not with him, I can have fun and enjoy myself when I do go out sans baby.

And here's a lovely fashion statement made by Aidan courtesy of my Memaw...Love it!

I should add that my left wrist still aches/hurts, and there is such a thing as post partum carpal tunnel.  Boo.  Guess I'm just waiting to see if it gets better or worse.  I tried sleeping with a wrist brace, but it's extremely uncomfortable, especially when Aidan wants me to let him hold my finger as he falls asleep.

The Fourteenth Week

This week I returned to work, and it was not easy.  Sunday was filled with lots of tears and little sleep, but I am happy to report that Aidan and I made it through the week.  I think Aidan dealt with the seperartion better than I did, which makes me happy because what makes me sad is that I am not there to soothe him when he needs me most.  The first day, I came home, Aidan was exhausted and needed a nap.  So I curled up on the couch and held for as long as he would let me.  It warmed my heart to know that he needed me so much.  And as I stated in my letter, we gave Aidan bath's every day, and I nursed him to sleep.  Tears were less as the nights went on, and I was able to sleep more peacefully.  Thankfully, the work week was four short days followed by four days off.

Aidan rolled over for the first time this week.  My memaw was working with Aidan a lot this week on tummy time and how to roll over - it seems her work has paid off...somewhat.  Aidan rolled to his side by himself, then I held a singing penguin over his head (that has red flashing lights) and he rolled over to look at it. So rolling over wasn't one fluid motion, but it's definitely a start.  Memaw and I were excited.  Aidan also received his Christmas present early from my parents - a jumparoo.  We tested it out at Buy Buy Baby, and he fit just fine and seemed to love it.  Well, at home, his feet could not touch the ground, so we had to put a book under him, but he seemed to greatly enjoy it!  Hopefully, he will start to get the hang of it soon, and I'll share some more videos.

All About Mom

Overall, I think the work week got better as the days went on, and I found my routine.  I did not go to the gym until Friday, which was my day off.  I rushed home every day to Aidan, even if it was to hold him for a nap.

Each day, I was able to set my alarm a little later or hit an extra snooze.  I quickly realized I was giving myself too much time to get ready in the morning.  I was at the carpool meet up spot 15 minutes early or more!  Better to have too much time, than too little.  It's weird (TMI to follow...), in the morning, I understand how a cow feels.  I wear this hands free bra, hook up the breastpump, and brush my teeth/wash my face, all while producing milk for Aidan.  (Little crude, but please, find the humor!) Then at work, I feel like a sperm donor...you know, I go into a practically bare office, put up a “Do Not Distrub” sign, look at pictures (of Aidan) to help stimulate myself, get half naked, wait for the white stuff to be collected in a bottle, examine my results and pat myself on the back for the good work, clean myself up, get dressed, then leave the room discreetly. 

I also plays Words with Friends or check out the updates on Facebook while I pump at work.  It's a nice break, and I definitely need something to occupy my time, even if it's only ten minutes.

I have had time to reflect the past three months.  I use to be a very modest person, but when it comes to breastfeeding, it seems I do what's best for Aidan.  I have nursed in public several times and I nurse in front of friends and family, as long as they are comfortable with it...I know, who cares whether they are or not...well, I do.  I can easily go into another room to feed Aidan, so it's no big deal. It's amazing how much a baby changes your prespective...or modesty.  Though, I still change in a changing room at the gym - that will never change. :)

Dear Aidan,

My how time has flown...it seems like yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Now your are holding your head up, curious about your environment, and playing "Simon Says" with your cooing and "talking". I admit, the first few weeks were very challenging, and I wasn't sure if I would make it through the entire maternity leave with my sanity. But the clouds broke and sun shone through as you began to smile, interact, and give mom a little bit of sleep and a break through out the day. 

For the past week, I have cried every time I think of leaving you to work.  I will miss the mornings when you stretch, smile, fart, and then coo at me as I stare into your eyes and am amazed by how much you have grown.  I miss the morning "Party on the Changing Table" song and dance that we do.  I will miss the morning feeding - you are quick to latch on and eat, then you will fall to sleep and snack until I put you back in the crib or down beside me.  Your morning routine is one of my favorites that I will have to cherish three days of week instead of seven.

I didn't cry when you were born - I wanted to, but I think every ounce of moisture that I had was perspired through my pores during twenty intense minutes of pushing.  I loved you from the first sight, there's no mistaking that.  But as I go back to work, I will be lucky if I don't cry - I'm sure when the garage door shuts and I back out of the driveway, when I pump milk for you, or when I see your picture on my computer screen, I will shed tears and miss you so much.

But we will get through this - we will have bath time every  night, regardless of whether you need it or not.  You love to talk, splash, and hold my fingers while you bathe.  You are so happy that I need those smiles and coos every day.  I need you to promise me that you will save some of that happiness for me when I get home.  We will nurse every night before bed - I love our bond and I know it's a good routine for you and me. 

We'll make it through this together...we may shed a few more tears along the way that we normally wouldn't, but we'll be okay.  I promise.

Love,

Mom

The Thirteenth Week

3 Months, Baby Boy



Splish Splash, I was taking a bath...

Party on the Changing Table, Party on the Changing Table, Party Party Party.

I can't sing, but Aidan doesn't care.  He squeals and moves his arms and legs like he is dancing when I sing my made up song, "Party on the Changing Table."  Sometimes it's that one line, and by the third "Party", he is squealing and moving so much.  I'm glad my lack of talent is so delightful, because one day, it will be embarrassing.

Aidan has picked his head up significantly during tummy time...so much that he fusses very little.  It's like one day it clicked for him and he realized if he looked up he wouldn't had to put his face in the mat!  So proud of the little guy.  He absolutely loves his play mat now.  He swats at the monkey, panda, and insect toys constantly while squealing with delight.  I love to hear his squeals.

Aidan must sense that I am going back to work next week.  He was extra needy Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It's like he knew that cuddle time with mom was about to be shortened, so we rocked for hours on Thursday and Friday.  On Saturday, he wanted to be held and not play on his mat.  It melts my heart that he needs me so much, and it really lifted my spirits.  Though I will admit that on Thursday, I cried as I rocked Aidan during his nap.  I know I will have the weekends and the evenings, but I don't want to miss anything...Speaking of which, Aidan laughed for the first time on Thursday!  So beautiful and precious.  Not sure what got into him, but he was very vocal and happy while one of my former coworkers visited.

On Saturday, Aidan was officially 3 months/13 weeks, so it meant another fun shopping trip and photo shoot.  Mom and I typically find ourselves at Gymboree, and this month, they had TONS of penguin outfits.  I can't wait to dress Aidan up in these, but here's two of my favorite photos from Saturday.

Dad bought Aidan a polar bear to help keep the penguin population down, and he's to the left of the penguin, but not seen in this photo...But I think the polar bear is slacking on the job. :)

Unofficially, Aidan weights near 15 pounds and is 25.5" long.

All About Mom

So I am officially back at my pre pregnancy weight.  Breastfeeding really does burn up some calories!  I didn't expect to lose the weight so quickly, but no complaints here.

Night sweats still occur, but they are pretty infrequent.

This week, I have had a weird sensation/pain in my left hand.  Almost carpal tunnel like.  I'm going to wear a brace to see if that helps, but I have noticed this issue since pregnancy, but most of the time, it was a dull ache and rarely occurred.  However, twice this week, I had sharp, shooting pain and numbness in the hand/wrist. 

And the TMI...

The 'Rhoids are still around, unfortunately.  Not bothersome to me, but just irritating that they have not resolved themselves.  When I see my OB in January, I will get a prescription like I had in the hospital if the rhoids are still present then.  I have also gone an entire year without Aunt Flo...please don't let this jinx me!