Day Off

Tomorrow has been declared a day off due to inclement weather where I work. That means that I don't have to use a sick leave day to stay home with DS (who couldn't go to daycare even if his fever was gone). He seems to be feeling a little run down and clingy, but otherwise okay. He didn't nurse long after his nap this morning and just chewed on the bottle around noon, but he drank the one this afternoon right down then ate some banana before nursing and taking a nap. We have 3 more bottles of fresh milk that he needs to drink before Thursday or they will be wasted. I pumped earlier today and got 5 oz for the freezer. I'll pump again this afternoon and give him another bottle the next time he needs to eat. I want to nurse some, too, because it is so good for both of us, but we do need to use up the bottles that are in the refrigerator.

Fifth Disease - I think DS may have Fifth disease. He is being sent home from day care with a slight (100 degree) fever. Several days ago his cheeks started looking red, almost chapped, and staying that way even when he wasn't warm. Yesterday I noticed his chin was red, too and the splotchy eczema-like rash on his arms and legs looked different. Over the weekend I noticed his bottom looking rashy, but not like the diaper rash he has had before (although he's only had diaper rash a couple of times and only for a day or two). He was very stuffed up last night and his nose secretions are thicker. It could just be a cold, but the rash and mild fever led me to do some research. If it is Fifth Disease, he was exposed sometime between Thanksgiving and early last week... and he is no longer contagious. I guess I'm taking today off work afterall. DH is off tomorrow, so I may come back in to wrap some things up before Christmas vacation, or I may just leave it as is.

Shopping

We did a lot of Christmas shopping today. I carried DS around in our new sling most of the time. DH tried it for a while too, but his shoulder and back started to hurt. We'll try again and make sure we have it on him right next time. DS did fine all day. He took a couple of short naps in the car between shopping locations and while we ate lunch at Sonic (in the car). Because of the shortened nap time, he went to sleep fairly early tonight without much trouble.

Baby Development

The flu

We've had the flu at our house this week. DH started feeling bad Sunday evening, then it hit him hard Sunday night. He stayed home from work both Monday and Tuesday. He was so weak that I even stayed home on Monday to take care of him. Wednesday afternoon I started feeling bad and warned my boss that I might not be in on Thursday. By 9pm Wednesday I was in the bathroom, and I called my boss later to tell him that my prediction was right. I stayed home today but will probably go in tomorrow. I got over it in about 24 hours, whereas it took DH about 48 to feel better. We're hoping that all the good stuff in breastmilk will keep DS from getting it. Based on the incubation period from DH to me, if DS is still okay on Saturday then we will have escaped DS being sick.

KDHE - Bureau of Child Care Licensing and Regulation

KDHE - Bureau of Child Care Licensing and Regulation

KDHE - Bureau of Child Care Licensing and Regulation -- Our DCP told me about a couple of things that they and/or we will need to change about DS's diapers and food. This is the time of year that "the health department" does inspections, so they are double checking to make sure things are being done right. Since we are behind on immunizations, I had to have our Dr. fax DS's next appointme information for them to have on file yesterday, too.

Cheating Babies: Nutritional Quality and Cost of Commercial Baby Food -- Ugh! This Center for Science in the Public Interest research report on baby food really makes me glad I decided to make DS's food. If we ever decide to buy something, we're going with Beach-Nut (or Earth's Best if available) or possibly Gerber without added salt, sugar, and thickeners (starch, tapioca, flour). This report makes jarred baby food sound even yuckier and a bigger waste of money than I already thought it was!

Free Ride

Yesterday our church group when through the church's neighborhood riding on a trolly-bus singing Christmas carols and delivering candy canes and Christmas greetings. DS son rode in my sling most of the time, but after taking him out for a diaper change when the trolley was stopped, I held him on my lap. He also rode on a few other people's laps when I got off the trolley deliver things without him. (He went with me in the sling several times, too.) He was very well behaved and I felt he was as safe (or safer) than the rest of us. I think it was good practice for our upcoming airplane ride to Grandma and Grandpa's for Christmas.

Mothers' Milk Bank Needs Your Milk.

Christmas Hardships - Christian Articles Archive -- Wow! I really like the way this author writes.

Joseph's Letter Home, a Christmas Story - Christian Articles Archive -- This is awesome! Quite a different perspective on the Immaculate Conception and Joseph and Mary's time together before Jesus' birth.

Brethren.org -- The official homepage of the Church of the Brethren

MennoLink Books and Music: More-with-less

BRAT

No, I'm not calling DS or anyone else a brat. I just learned from my pumpmoms email list that Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast are things that can lead to consitpation and are sometimes "prescribed" to help relieve diarrhea. DS has been having rice cereal every weekday for the past 2 weeks. He has had banana quick a bit (and likes it a lot). His BMs are definitely solid now. I can even shake a diaper and get the deposit to fall into the toilet. I guess I need to get in gear and introduce some other fruits so he can have some variety. The pear at home should be ripe enough to try tomorrow evening.

Quote of the Month - The Natural Child Project "It is wisdom to believe the heart." - George Santayana

Sad

I unsubscribed from Midwifery Today - Pregnancy, Birth, Homebirth and Midwife Information the email newsletter. There are several reasons, but the sad one is that it doesn't make me happy to read it anymore. One of the articles today was about how induction often leads to more intereventions. That's too close to home for me. I know our decisions were the best at the time, but I guess I am still grieving the birth experience I had hoped for. I do believe that we used as little intervention as possible, and we put off things the doctors and nurses wanted to do until we had tried less invasive options, but I still have a scar across my belly and in my heart. I just can't read about that stuff right now. The less emotional reasons include my mailbox being so full of baby and parenting newsletters and email that it's time to move away from the pregnancy and birth newsletters. I will definitely resub if I get pg again, though.

This document contains Tips, Recipes, Links to more oatmeal recipes & finally, a poem -- you probably can't see this page unless you are logged in to Yahoo Groups and a member of PumpMoms, but I want to put it here anyway.

The Sacramento Bee -- sacbee.com -- A father's quest -- I'm all for this dad feeding his son breastmilk, but I don't think the insurance company should be forced to pay for it. When you get insurance, you know what is covered and what is not. If you choose treatment or substances that are not covered, you pay out of pocket. That's the way it works. Insurance companies being forced to pay for things that they wouldn't ordinarily cover is part of what drives up insurance rates. Hopefully this couple had life insurance on the mom; that would help pay for milk.

USATODAY.com - U.S. breast-feeding rate soars

A Developmental Checklist: 6 to 8 Months -- DS can do a lot of this stuff. It seems like he's "right on track".

A Mother's Love - today's Upper Room devotional - it made me cry. (I think I'm a little stressed out right now.)

Crying

The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer -- I wonder if we should get this book?

Of the past 6 nights, I have been the one to get DS to sleep originally only twice. Saturday night a friend came over because DH and I went to a concert for a date (our first night out together without DS since late August!). Sunday I nursed and held DS to sleep. Monday he was at our neighbors asleep on the living room floor when I went to pick him up. We had not sent pajamas or a night diaper (or nipples for the bottles of milk), so he was quite awake for a while before going back to sleep. Tuesday he was snoozing on another friend's couch surrounded by safety buffers in his pj's and night diaper. Wednesday was my turn again. He had some trouble falling asleep, so I took him to our bed and nursed laying down, where we both fell asleep. And last night DH got him ready, including feeding 2 bottles, then held DS while he cried for 20-25 minutes before finally calming down and falling asleep. The ladies who babysat for us all said that DS "was good". So why does he cry for Daddy? This was very frustrating to DH last night, and I felt very bad for him when I got home. Should I be doing something different so DS doesn't get used to falling asleep nursing at home? But if that were truly the problem, Saturday night would not have gone well. Should we try to reintroduce the pacifier, so if DS is too upset to find his fingers to suck to sooth himself, at least we can try to trigger the suck / sooth combination? That doesn't seem like the right thing to do either. Or should I stop going out in the evening? That seems drastic, but most of the time (except for "dates" with DH) I would rather be at home with DS than whereever else I have made a committment to be.

Baby Tooth Chart

Wholesome Baby Foods from Scratch -- The Vegetarian Resource Group
Recipe Goldmine Recipes - Baby Food

Solids at daycare

Yesterday DS tried (and apparently liked) rice cereal from a box. I was sort of hoping he wouldn't like it, but since he seems to like everything we have fed him I shouldn't be surprised. The menu said banana with breakfast, but they had pineapple instead, so we passed on the fruit in the morning. The menu also said apples with lunch, so I asked that the teacher puree some for him. They had applesause instead, and since it comes from the residence hall cafeteria I'm sure it was not "no sugar added". :-( Fortunately he didn't eat very much of it. (I've read somewhere that everything except banana needs to be cooked, so at least his applesauce was cooked since it was commercial, instead of getting raw apple.) Today I packed 1/2 a mushed banana and 2 pumpkin cubes for him so he won't have food that I don't know about in advance. I need to start thinking ahead in the evenings, even more than before!

dabbling in babbling - add to blogs we like

Reuters Health Information (2002-11-20): Reproductive techniques now more successful, safer

Babywearing
... is carrying your baby in a sling or pack instead of putting them in a stroller.

Mothering Magazine -- Hold Me Close
Mothering Magazine -- Babywearing Tips
How to Babywear
Ten Reasons to Wear your Baby - The Natural Child Project
misc.kids baby carriers FAQ

I am working on my church's special Advent mailing and was trying to find the Christmas graphic for the United Methodist Church theme for this Christmas when I found this page, Worship, with lots of good links. Maybe since I have blogged this page I'll get back to them are read some of them.

La Leche League of Wichita Kansas, and Surrounding Area -- listing of area meetings and leaders

LLLI Online Chats -- if you can't find a group in your area, or need a "fix" more often than once a month.

FlyLady.net: FlyBaby Children -- this webpage has inspired me to do some brainstorming about my son's room. Right now it still has a lot of "our stuff" that really shouldn't be in his room. It has built in drawers and shelves on one wall, so he doesn't really need a dresser. It has 2 standalone bookshelves that are tipping hazards and, if "our stuff" was out of the built-ins, would not be needed at all. This brainstorming is also partially inspired by the fact that DS is scooting backwards now and our DCP says that he will be crawling forward very soon!

Brainstorm warning

* Pin a diaper pin on clothes that are too small when we take them off of him so we will know to put them in the "too small" box instead of back on the shelf after they have been washed.
* Make one of the shelves for clothes that have been worn once but are okay for another day (instead of hanging them over the crib).
* Have a hook somewhere for his coat and hat.
* Put the things on his bottom changing table shelf somewhere else and put all "safe" things down there.
* Clean out the built-in drawers and use them for his clothes etc. (with labels on the fronts at first). We may want to take some of the drawers outside and sand them down a bit so they slide easier. I wish they weren't so heavy because I don't think he will be able to open them on his own for a very long time. (Although that could be a blessing in disguise.)
* Only hang up the dressiest clothes.
* Put clothes in drawers as "outfits" so we don't have to try to find things that "go together".
* Remove (at least) one set of bookshelves and put the rocker and/or his little dresser against the wall.
* Vacuum weekly so he can play on the floor in his own room.

Regular Naps Improve Nighttime Sleep (Diaper Pin)

Popular Science | Fenugreek for Freshness -- this is an herb that some women use to help boost milk supply also.

Does the MMR Vaccine Cause Autism? 11/20/02 -- This is a article that says that MMR does not cause autism. It is based on research in Denmark. The commentary points out that other vaccines in Denmark do not contain thimerosal (mercury) like some do in the US, but at least research is being done.

Five Simple Strategies to Reduce Stress and Eliminate Exhaustion 11/20/02

DH and I had a discussion last night about DS not "sleeping through the night" yet. Our approaches to how to get DS to sleep and how quickly to respond to him when he wakes up are starting to diverge a bit. Here is a Sleep Problems FAQ by Dr. Sears. And an article on What Attachment Parenting Is Not that are fitting. One point that I made last night was that when DS can communicate in ways other than crying, how I respond may be different. I don't want him to learn to cry himself to sleep. Here are a couple more relevant articles from Dr. Sears:
8 Infant Sleep Facts Every Parent Should Know
31 Ways To Get Your Baby To Go To Sleep and Stay Asleep Easier

Can Yuppies Bear Children - I'm not sure exactly how I stumbled onto these articles, but I want to link to them

Romancing the Mom -- This one really makes me want to quit my job. Perhaps after "the upgrade" that I'm working on (and trying to finish before Christmas) my supervisor would be more open to a part-time arrangement.

What About Dad?
Attachment Parenting: A Style that Works

‘Sink Reflections’
FlyLady says a tidy soul comes first -- I'm a FlyBaby!

He Can't Be Hungry. He Just Ate!

Quiet Alertness

Several times in the past week I have noticed DS being quiet, alert and content when other babies and children around him were upset, crying, or "getting in trouble". The following paragraph from Dr. Sears' 10 Ways Attachment Parenting Makes Discipline Easier explains it pretty well.

4. Attachment parenting promotes quiet alertness. Both research and our own experience have demonstrated that attachment-parented babies cry much less. So what do they do with their free time? They spend much of it in the state of quiet alertness. During waking hours, babies go through many types of behavior: crying, sleepy, alert and agitated, and quietly alert. Babies are most attentive to their environment in the state of quiet alertness. By not fussing and crying, they conserve their energy and use it for interacting. The result is they are more pleasant to be with. Because a responsive parent takes time to enjoy the baby when he is in this state, the baby is motivated to stay in the state of quiet alertness longer.

ANTIBIOTICS AND COLD MEDICINES -- what is safe to take and why

Bath fun!

Last night DS and I took a bath together. It was just getting to hard to hold onto him in the sink and reach his bottom. He had a lot of fun splashing! He sat on the bottom of the tub with me, between my legs, facing the same way as me most of the time. The water was almost to his waist. I sat him up on my leg part of the time so I could wash his legs and bottom. It's too bad that DH missed it, but I'm sure we can get some cute pictures next time.

So I Nursed Him Every 45 Minutes/One Father's Perspective on Demand Nursing -- I like this pair of articles!

Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (RE9729) -- This is the one I've been searching for. Under "Recommended Breastfeeding Practices": Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months after birth. Infants weaned before 12 months of age should not receive cow's milk feedings but should receive iron-fortified infant formula. Gradual introduction of iron-enriched solid foods in the second half of the first year should complement the breast milk diet. It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.

Here are several articles about SIDS.
Changing Concepts of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Implications for Infant Sleeping Environment and Sleep Position (RE9946) -- The AAP doesn't know why or how it happens, but "back to sleep" seems to have made a difference.
A Simple Explanation for SIDS (Crib Deaths) -- Dr. Mercola is quite a radical in many ways, but he does make sense sometimes. Dr. Mercola is quite a radical in many ways, but he does make sense sometimes.
CribLife2000 on SIDS: Eliminating SIDS by preventing SIDS
CribLife2000 - Eliminating SIDS: A Simple Explanation for SIDS

I found the American Academy of Pediatrics website (with help from pumpmoms). Here are a few articles of interest.
AAP - Safety Tips for the Holidays -- mostly common sense (to me, at least)
AAP - A Woman’s Guide to Breastfeeding
AAP - Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5
"Kid's Health" supplement in the October 18-20, 2002 weekend edition of USA Today
AAP USA Today Supplement - What is the Best Nutrition for your Baby?
The Use and Misuse of Fruit Juice in Pediatrics - RE0047 -

This is so cute I decided to put it on my template.

Diaper questions

I bought 10 Bummi doublers recently with a buy-it-now on ebay for a good price. The seller said she had lots of other diapering supplies and asked what I might want. I asked about Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers, Fuzzi Bunz, and tote bags. She told be that Fuzzi Bunz are possibly dangerous to little boys' developing testicles because of the amount of heat that is held in. I asked her for references and am now searching all over the web trying to find any information about this. So far, I consider it a rumor, but I am willing to stand corrected if there are any studies or even well documented ancedotal evidence (more than, I heard if from a friend who read it on a discussion board that one lady's friend's son was sterile). For one thing, I don't think they haven't been around long enough to tell if boys who wear them have sperm problems.

Separation Anxiety starting?

This morning when I left DS at daycare, he was crying. :-( That's the first time that has happened. Lately he has been more reluctant to have other people hold him when he can see me. I'm sure he got over it very quickly, because he is usually very happy with any of his teachers. I handed him to one of the teachers to finish checking him in (filling out a form with when he last ate and slept), and he cried then. So I took him back when I finished and he quieted down, but I couldn't stay because I had to be somewhere across town at a specific time today, so I handed him back. Then he started to cry again, so I just kissed him and told him I would be back at lunchtime and left. I think I said, "I hate this part" to the other teacher as I closed the door.

Spilt Milk

A word of warning... don't set a lid on top of a freshly pumped bottle of milk and forget that you haven't screwed it on tight. I lost about 2 oz of milk this afternoon. At least it was down a sink so I didn't have a mess to clean up. Tomorrow we will have to dip into the freezer stash because of my blunder. DS is eating like crazy right now, getting over his bug. He drank 6 oz this morning at daycare and probably all 3.5 that I took this afternoon, and I bet he will be hungry when I get there in a few minutes to pick him up.

Fever

DS got sent home from daycare with a 100.6 degree temperature today. We will be staying at home tomorrow, too. He has to stay away for 24 hours after the fever is gone (without fever reducing medicine). DH and I were planning on lunch together and seeing a matinee since our date last Sunday got cancelled because of a problem that came up at my work. He stopped by a very nice restaurant and brought home a nice lunch for me today, and then he went out in the afternoon and rented a couple of movies, but it wasn't the same. Monsters, Inc. is a fun movie, though. :-)

TINY LOVE Soft Developmental Toys - 7 Elements of Baby's Development
TINY LOVE Soft Developmental Toys - Multiple Intelligences

Nursing / Weaning question - responses

Here are some good (and a few not so good) responses that I got from an email list to the Nursing / Weaning questions that some people may ask. Some of these I will try to remember.

Responses to "Are you still nursing?"

No, I'm not, my mother lives too far away. My son is, though.
Of course! Nothing but the best for your grandson! (or nephew or whatever)
Yes, isn't it amazing? I am so glad he's not in a hurry to grow up.
Yes, it's really been a life-saver, it is the only liquid he'll drink when he's not feeling well.
Absolutely, isn't love a wonderful thing?
Yes! (then hold up your hand expecting the other person to high-five you)
Right now? No, he's over there playing. I need him to do it.
I was never a nurse. I don't like needles! I'm an Accountant, remember?
Yes, his doctor is so thrilled. So many moms give up due to pressures of friends and family. (hint hint)
Yes, and he's a real pro at it. I am so proud of him.
Everyone asks that, it must be because he's so incredibly healthy. (not really answering, but it gets the point across that you aren't planning on answering)
I get that question all the time. It is so great that people are looking out for him! (again, not answering)
Yes, he deserves the very best. He's such a good baby.
(for someone who continuously asks) It is funny how people ask that, but then they don't really want to know.
(for someone who continuously asks) Of course, I am glad you keep asking. It shows you want the best for him.
(and another for someone who is hounding you to no end) Do you really want to know this time? You didn't seem satisfied with my answer last time.

Responses to "When are you planning on weaning?"

I'm not. He'll wean me.
Before he graduates.
He hasn't told me yet.
I haven't asked him yet. He doesn't really make plans for the future at this point. He just does things day to day.
I don't know, I guess when my milk dries up. (confuse a person who has no clue about breastfeeding)
I hope not for a while. We're both enjoying our time together.
I don't know, when the puppies weaned, they were taken away from their mother. It doesn't seem like such a great thing to me.
(sometimes they ask, "when will you start giving him cow's milk?") Not sure maybe if he starts thinking he is a calf.
What, and get my PMS back? are you crazy?
I don't know. He seems to still enjoy it and I enjoy those extra 500 calories I burn.
It is so hard to plan anything with a baby. We're just doing things day to day.
We're in no rush, he has time to make up his own mind.
Thanks for asking. Everyone seems to need an answer for that except for me and my child.
(and another for someone who is hounding you to no end) It depends, when are you planning on asking me again?

Okay, so some of these are a little snippy and not-so-nice, but sometimes that attitude would apply. Do try and be polite to people who are simply misinformed, but be as snotty as you like to people who just won't mind their own business!

"Are you STILL nursing?"

Of course, I wouldn't dare ask someone else to do it for me!
What do you mean still? The bare minimum is two years!
Obviously. ..Are you STILL afraid of seeing a breast? (a good one for someone looking at you nursing with a disgusted look on their face)
Yep! The equipment is still in operation.
Yep! He's still my child, isn't he?
Of course! He still needs his mommy!
Absolutely! It's a great way for both of us to take a break!
Actually, he's the one doing the nursing, I just sit here.

When are you going to wean?

I weaned a long time ago, when I was two I think.
(pause) Oh, you were talking to me? I thought you were asking him...he can't answer you yet.
Weaning isn't even in his vocabulary yet.
Not sure, I hope he is allowed to nurse as long as he likes.
Oh...sometime in the future. (be vague, it gets them every time!)
I suppose whenever he stops nursing, that would be a good time.
That's funny, I was going to ask you when are you planning on going vegetarian. (or something equally as ridiculous to ask)

Isn't he a little old for that?
(while nursing) Apparently not, the equipment still works for him.
(surprised) What?! He isn't even out of diapers!
I used to think like you, but then I nursed a baby for the first time and all the rules changed.
His doctor didn't think so.
Aren't you a little old to be wearing those jeans?
Nope, he's only three, that's not very old considering he'll live to be 100 or so.
Obviously he isn't.
If I thought that way, would I still do it?
No, I don't think he is, do you? (if they say "yes" then answer, "well, then you already had your answer didn't you")

He doesn't NEED to nurse at this age!

He doesn't need his teddy bear either but we still give it to him.
Maybe not, why don't you read up on it for me. Maybe you can find out if there is an expiration date for my milk.
Only HE knows what he needs and obviously he still needs it.
(laugh) Where did you hear that?
Shhh - not in front of him, you'll make him feel bad. (then later say "I would prefer it if you wouldn't talk about nursing in front of the baby. How would you feel if someone was telling you that you were too old for something?")
He can HEAR you, you know.
And you don't NEED to eat that doughnut, but you still are.

He should be drinking cow's milk from a cup by now.

I am sure he knows how, but if you were him, which would you prefer?
Why? Are we raising him to be a cow?
He likes human milk from these cups better at the moment.
I would like to see where that "rule" is written down.
Why? Human milk is made for humans... and it's free!
And you should be OVER the whole thing by now, are you still afraid of a breastfeeding child?

Why you should make your baby's food - Suite101.com gives some instructions: When the food is softened, transfer to the appliance of your choice. I have used a blender and a food processor with success both times. Add a little bit (1-2 tbs at a time) of the liquid of your choice, and puree. The consistency should be smooth -- like the food you see in the baby food jars at the grocery stores! Serve immediately, or freeze in individual servings. To do this, transfer the puree to an ice cube tray (each cube should be a generous tablespoon). Wrap in freezer wrap and freeze. Then pop the food out of the ice cube tray and place in a freezer bag with a use-by date (you can freeze them for up to three months, but if you used formula or breastmilk, only freeze for six weeks).

How to Make Homemade Baby Food
France's Recipes for Teething Biscuits, Cookies, Crackers and Rusks
Baby Food Cookbook - A Practical Mother's Guide

Making rice cereal

According to the author of the article The low-down on making baby cereal - Suite101.com "Super Baby Food" is the best source for information on making baby cereal. To make rice cereal, the book recommends you buy whole-grain rice and put about 1/4 cup of it in your blender and blend for 2 minutes (a full 2 minutes) so that it is a full powder, with no big chunks. Then, boil 1 cup of water and slowly add the powdered rice while stirring and turn down the stove to the low. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. It should look like cereal when it is done. This makes three to four servings, depending on the appetite of your baby! And it will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also adjust the thickness by adding more water (or breastmilk before serving) or using a bit more powdered rice.

2 more shots

It was not as traumatic for either mother or son this time. I nursed DS while he got his shots (the last of his "2 month" and the first of his "4 month" doses). During the first one he hollered then looked at the nurse as if saying, What are you doing to me? After she finished he went back to nursing and didn't even stop during the 2nd shot.

Okay, I have probably gone a little overboard with vaccine links, but here are some of the pages that I read today while trying to decide what to do at DS's 6 month checkup today:
Vaccination Links
Summary of rules for childhood immunization - This one has a lookup by state and a clear chart of what is required by law for licensed Day Care, Head Start, and K-12 public schools.
Vaccine Education Center-Resources for Healthcare Professionals
NIP: Pubs / Six Misconceptions about Vaccines
NIP: Pubs / Parents-Guide / Parents Guide to Childhood Immunization
NIP: Publications / Pink Book / Normal Format
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
NIP: Vaccine / Public Chart
NIP: Vaccine / Health Care Professionals Chart

ImmunizationEd.org's Shots 2002 program for Handheld computers (PDAs).

Manna

One of the ladies on the pumpmoms email list compared mother's milk to manna... God will supply the right amount for the day. I sure like that analogy! I will remember it when the low supply days come and I have to use bottles from my freezer stash (which is now up to a whopping 5 bottles with 2 oz each). That is the most since we used up the ones from when DS came home from the hospital, and only 2-3 weeks ago we had none.

New tooth

... mine, not DS's. :-) I chipped a tooth last week and got it fixed today. Usually they just file the rough spot down, but since this was a lower incisor, filing would have made it much shorter than the other lower incisor. My dentist added some material and bonded it to my tooth, so now they are almost the same size again, and the repaired one is even slightly smoother than the other one on the back side.

Feeding At A Glance: Birth - 24 months
Starting Solid Foods
Making Your Own Baby Food
FAQ's
Books by Bill and Martha Sears

I'm up late (early a.m.) surfing for two reasons: 1) DS is asleep and I can, and 2) DH is not home yet and I want to wait up for him even though he said I didn't need to. XOXoxo

We got a reminder card from DS's DCP that they need information about his immunizations. (He turns 6 months next week.) We are "two months behind" but are actually not even sticking to all of the recommendations late either. This page, YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNIZATIONS, is from Dr. Sears. It talks about all of the standard shots, has a common schedule, and has suggestions for spreading out the shots and decreasing the number of injections. I told the head DCP that DS has an appointment next Friday, which is true, but I implied that he would be getting all of his shots then, and he probably won't. I need to find all of the information again and really examine it and my motives.

This article, Growth Spurts, supports my theory that DS is at the end of a growth spurt.

9 hours

DS slept 9 hours straight last night! I'm pretty sure that is a record.Based on his eating and sleeping habits and how his clothes fit, I think he is finishing up a growth spurt. A week ago he was sleeping 2-3 hours at a time at most and eating like crazy, so I could barely keep up. Now I am double pumping, so my supply is up, but he seems to be eating less and sleeping more. Plus he is now sitting up alone for long periods of time and catching himself when he starts to tip over sometimes. His 3-6 month size clothes are almost all too small, too.

Mike and Deanna Patterson from For Better or For Worse had their baby October 10... FBorFW Fix - Official website for Lynn Johnston's comic strip family... Thursday's shows Deanna breastfeeding.

ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz

I sure had fun at the pumpkin patch yesterday morning, but boy was I tired at the end of the day! I missed my morning nap (except for a little in the car), and mommy took me to Sweet Adelines so I was up very very late (but I did eat and nap while they watched the tape of last Saturday's show). I slept "all night" last night and was still in my cradle instead of the big bed when mommy's alarm started making noise. Mommy was very happy when she picked me up to feed me this morning. :-)

I tried to eat the pumpkin yesterday because my friends at daycare get to eat squash. It was pretty much just like any other big hard thing I get my mouth on, though. Mommy said I'll like it better if I let her cook it and smash it and feed it to me with a spoon.

Field Trip -- Pumpkins and Dirt

We went on a field trip to Pumpkin Junction with daycare this morning. DS seemed to enjoy himself. When we got out of the car he saw kids playing on playground equipment and just stared at them for a while. I carried him in the sling until the trailer ride started, then I sat him down on the bed of the truck where we were all sitting.

Once we reached the pumpkin patch, each child was allowed to pick one pumpkin and two gourds to take home. We looked around for a while and I picked up a green pumpkin. The tractor driver told me it was a pumpkin not a gourd and it would turn orange in a few days, especially if we took it inside where it was warm. I looked around some more and picked up two gourds, then I decided to get a pumpkin that was already orange. I sat DS on the ground with his treasures and others around him and snapped a few pictures. He sat up very well on his own but tipped over backwards a couple of times. He had enough padding that it didn't seem to bother him, but the one time that he tipped sideways and his face met the dirt he did cry. I'm pretty sure that this is the first time that he has ever seen dirt up close.

On the ride back to the parking lot he seemed to enjoy exploring his gourds. He "mouthed" the big pumpkin (only about 6" diameter) and put the small end of one of the gourds in his mouth also. One DCP had a camera, and I think she got a picture of that!

Introducing Solid Foods to Infants

Weird schedules this week

Monday morning DH stayed home with DS because DS and I were up a good portion of the night with his cough. I had to go in to work because of a major problem but had finally gotten DS to take his medicine around 6am and he was sleeping at last. We called daycare to report DS's absence, but DH had to go to work in the afternoon and DS was doing fine once the medicine started to work, so I took him there for the afternoon.

Monday night DS didn't nurse at bedtime and wouldn't take his medicine. We didn't sleep well. Tuesday morning I was supposed to be at work at 7am. Daycare doesn't open until 7, so I warned my coworkers that I wouldn't be there on time. I got up early enough and at 6:30 I thought I still might make it, but when I was still trying to get DS to take medicine at 7:05, I thought "Oh well, I get there when I get there." I gave up on the medicine and went to daycare. I got DS to take about 1/2 of the medicine in the car. The lead teacher called me around 11 reporting that DS was fussy and had only drunk about 1/2 oz all morning. He was pretty much refusing the bottle. Since I had just solved the big problem that I had been working on (the same problem from Monday and the reason for the 7am start), I went over and nursed him. He only nursed for a minute or two, but at least he did it 3 times while I was there. I left instructions to call again in the afternoon if he kept refusing the bottle. When I picked him up at 5pm they reported that he drank 5 oz (in 2 sittings) in the afternoon. Back to normal?

Tuesday night was about the same as Monday night, except I did get DS to take his medicine. (His congestion doesn't seem too bad, but he coughs quite a bit without the medicine.) I had a partially used bottle from daycare that DS wouldn't take, though, so I ended up dumping about 2 oz of MM. DH and I stayed up way too late, but we had some very important conversation. I'm guessing it was around 2am Wednesday when we finished. DS and I were up again during the night, so I decided to sleep in some. I finally got out of bed around 8 as DH was finishing getting ready to go to work. I asked the DCP to give DS his medicine since he wouldn't take it from me and to feed him at lunchtime since I have errands to run. I will be leaving work early to pick up our fundraiser sales and bring some of them back to the people at work who bought things.

Thursday daycare is taking a field trip to a pumpkin patch and I'm going, so I probably won't be at work in the morning at all.

Friday I will be taking the afternoon off because DH is singing at a competition. The competition lasts from noonish on Friday until late Saturday night. The only part I will get to see is Friday afternoon while DS is at daycare. At past competitions I have attended all events. DH's local group is hosting it this year and I really wish that I would have been able to help out, but it just didn't seem feasible.

Saturday I may be taking care of my niece for a long part of the day. My sister works from 11am-7pm and her husband is out of town for the weekend. Hopefully his niece will be able to split the babysitting with me. I do want to get some practice with caring for both DS and my niece together (because I still have a goal of dropping to part time and swapping child care with my sister), but I think an 8 hour block is bigger than I am ready for.

Milk Information

I sent the following in a note to the director of our day-care:

After chatting with you Monday afternoon and a conversation with an assistant last Friday, I thought it might be helpful for me to gather some information on storing human milk for you all. This information is taken from various research studies, books, internet pages, and La Leche League information. From the practices I have seen in the infant room, I'd say that the lead teacher and the staff probably already know most, if not all, of this information, but as a first-time mom I am eager to share what I learn.

Storage Guidelines - Fresh Mature milk

• kept at 25 C (79 F) - 4-6 hours


• kept at 19-22 C (66-72 F) - 10 hours


• kept at 15 C (59-60 F) - 24 hours


• refrigerated 0-4 C (32-39 F) - 8 days (since the door to the refrigerator in the infant room is opened so frequently, limiting it to 3-4 days would probably be a better guideline)

Storage Guidelines - Frozen milk

• freezer compartment located inside a refrigerator - 2 weeksk


• separate door refrigerator/freezer - 3-6 months (temperature varies because the door opens frequently)


• separate deep freeze at constant -19 C (0 F) - 6 months or longer

(I try to keep one spare bottle in the freezer in the infant room's refrigerator. If it could be kept in a separate freezer we could store it longer.)

How to Warm the Milk
Heat under warm, running water or by setting in a container of warm water; do not bring temperature of milk to boiling point; gently swirl before testing the temperature; do not use a microwave oven to heat human milk. Frozen milk can be thawed in the same way or in the refrigerator, which can take up to 12 hours. (See http://www.bflrc.com/ljs/breastfeeding/shakenot.htm for a good explanation in layman's terms of why to not shake breastmilk.)

Thawed Milk
If milk has been frozen and thawed, it can be refrigerated up to 24 hours for later use. It should not be refrozen.

Unfinished Bottles
Most lactation experts agree that milk that is not finished at one feeding may be offered at one more feeding before needing to be discarded. Human milk has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that result in slower spoilage as compared to other foods.

---

It's wise to try to stay as close to the guidelines as possible, but milk that is older than the stated safe age should not be automatically discarded. Milk that is truly bad has a very distinct sour taste and odor. Even if expressed milk is "out of date" it should still be considered safe to give a baby as long as it still has a fresh odor and/or taste.

Breastmilk digests in 96 minutes, so a breastfed baby will take more frequent feedings, and less milk per feeding, than a formula-fed baby. Because a baby nurses for reasons other than food, draining a bottle quickly may be interpreted as a sign of hunger when it is actually a sign of needing comfort and sucking or other contact. Carrying time is usually helpful for a breastfed baby in a daycare setting, so that the need for human contact can be met in ways other than feeding.

The appearance of stored milk can take on many forms. After a while the fats in the milk begin to separate from the body of it. The cream may rise to the top or settle on the sides of the storage container. Right before serving it to baby, be sure to gently swirl the milk so that the fats can be redeposited back into the rest of the milk. (See http://www.bflrc.com/ljs/breastfeeding/shakenot.htm for a good explanation in layman's terms of why to not shake breastmilk.)

Human milk has an amazing capacity to resist bacterial growth, and can be kept at room temperature for up to ten hours.

Milk to be used within eight days of expression should be refrigerated rather than frozen. Not only will the milk not need to be thawed, but the immunity factors in human milk are better preserved by refrigeration. For longer storage, milk can be frozen.

As of an October 1995 press release, human milk is not (nor has it ever been) included in federal health agencies' listings of body fluids governed by universal precautions for blood borne pathogens which would mandate handling and feeding with rubber gloves or storage in a separate refrigerator as a biohazardous material. This continues to be the current policy of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Ahh, sleep

I don't know whether DS slept all night or he just let me sleep all night, but I feel wonderful! First he fell asleep in his crib after choir rehearsal (not ready for "night-time"). I let him sleep. He awoke around 10 so I nursed him, changed him, put his pajamas on, and he slept in his cradle. Sometime after midnight (close to 1am I think), when I went to bed, he awoke again so I brought him to bed with us to nurse and sleep, as usual. The next time I woke up was when my alarm went off at 7... I was still on the same side of him and my other side was quite full. Six hours isn't a lot of sleep, but it sure is refreshing compared to 2-3 hours at a time!

ProMoM, Inc. - 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child Reason 95. Self confidence booster for mom -- There is nothing more amazing than looking at a plump six month old baby and knowing that the only nutrition this happy little creature has received has come from your own body.

DS is back in daycare today, and I am back at work. I gave him a warm bath yesterday, but he doesn't have any new spots and didn't get a fever. If it was/is chicken pox, it's an extremely mild case, but it's probably something else, we just don't know what.

Chicken pox?

We're staying home today. DS has 6 red spots on his face and head. The DCPs (Day Care Providers) asked me to have a Dr. look at them yesterday, so we did. He did't really think they are chicken pox, but he couldn't say they aren't, or what else they are. So we didn't go back to day-care after lunch, and DS and I are staying home today to limit exposure (if that's what they are). Hopefully they will either go away today or he will break out more so we'll know for sure.

I use my instincts

I admit, I do a lot of reading on the internet (and magazines, and a few books). But there is a lot of conflicting information about almost every subject. So I take what is good and leave the rest. How do I know which is which is which? I go with my gut, and my heart, and my mind. I guess I use my instincts, although I had not previously thought of myself as having strong motherly instincts, I think I do. Some stuff just makes sense and other stuff just seems too unnatural. So that's what most of my links about breastfeeding and parenting support... what seems "right" to me.


ProMoM, Inc. - 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child
10 Commandments of Working and Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding Resources - Working

ZZZZzzzzz

DS is asleep in his crib. He fell asleep several times this evening in the car, but since we got a convertible seat when we replaced the potentially damaged one, we now have to take him out of it instead of taking it out of the car. He wakes up when we do that, so he didn't ever get a good nap after day care today. We visited Dad at the bowling alley tonight, and on the way home DS fell asleep (not surprisingly). When we got home I put him in his crib with the mobile going because I needed to use the bathroom. He was quiet when I got done, so I wound the mobile again and got his night-time diaper ready. When it stopped and I got ready to pick him up to change the diaper and put on pajamas, he was asleep so I left him there. He hasn't eaten since about 7, so I expect that he will wake up very hungry when he wakes up. Hopefully it won't be till at least 11 because I just pumped since he was asleep. I'm trying to get the freezer stock back up; it was down to zero yesterday (and the frig stock was zero also) until I got home from my rehearsal.

How the Breast Makes Milk
Examining the Evidence...

It's that time again

I had an inkling that it would be starting soon, but I'm so out of practice of noticing the physical feelings, that we need to wash the sheets today. This past week my pump sessions have produced less milk but that picked up yesterday, and I noticed the slightest ting of pink on the toilet paper yesterday, too. I guess I should go back and check the other dates to see what my new cycle length is. It seems shorter than my old 30-36 days.

Make your own nursing tee! I might actually try this. I have tons of t-shirts.

Homemade Toys: Why Nothing Can Beat a Paper Pinwheel Yesterday at daycare, DS was playing with a big squishy ziplock bag of water with confetti in it. Since he doesn't have teeth yet and it was a thick (double bagged) ziplock back with duct tape over the seal, I think it was safe. It sure looked like he was enjoying it!

Mothering Magazine -- Compassionate Connection: Nonviolent Communication with Children This article describes a way of communicating that seems awkward to me at first, but it does seem like a positive way to deal with relationships and communication. The article says the NVC is very similar to Attachment Parenting but that it works with older children and adults.

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) -- Supports a Woman's Decision to Breastfeed

At Your Service: the Child Development Center This is where my son spends his days. This article is 3 1/2 years old so some of the staff are different (the director and infant lead teacher, are two that I know of), but this is a nice article anyway.
Learning is focus of WSU child center another article about the CDC, I can't tell when this one was published.
Children at Child Development Center learn charity this one is from shortly after 9/11/01.
Adventures in babysitting Summer 2002.

Tips for safe bathing -- We're still using the infant bath thing in the kitchen sink, but as soon as DS is sitting up on his own consistently we will probably switch to using a bath ring suctioned to the sink for a while, then move to the tub.

Rash

We are pretty sure that the rash on DS's arms and legs is from the new car seat, not the hotel sheets. First of all, it hasn't gone away after a week of being back on our sheets. Secondly, DH remembered that we didn't wash the car seat cover when we bought it because DS and I were going out of town that day and it would not have had time to air dry before we needed to leave. Thirdly, looking at the placement of the rash: underside of forearms, backs and sides of calves, and outer parts of knees, those are all places that touch the car seat, especially when DS gets active. So tonight we'll wash the cover. We don't plan to take DS anywhere on Saturday, so that should give the cover plenty of time to air dry before church on Sunday.

Great Dr. Appt

DS had a checkup with the neurologist yesterday. He passed with flying colors!

The Dr. said that he was extremely pleased with DS's development and didn't see any signs of delays. He is doing wonderfully and his recovery has been miraculous. We don't have any more scheduled appointments but are welcome to call on him for followup in the future if we notice anything or have any concerns about developmental issues.

Teething: A developmental milestone This article says that the heavy drooling associated with teething can actually precede the tooth erupting by a month or more. Since DS is drooling less but wanting to chew more, I'd say he is working on the first tooth now, but it could still be a while before we see it.

Allergies: Caring for your baby's allergies ... wondering if DS's stuffy nose (and apparently itchy eyes) are allergies. DH has pretty severe seasonal (fall) allergies, and I have mild indoor (dust mites, mold?) allergies. We spent last weekend in a hotel and DS has a rash on his legs and arms that I think is from the sheets on the hotel bed.

I really need to start going to bed sooner! I got up earlier than usual this morning and had time to eat breakfast sitting down, but all of a sudden (or so it seemed) it was 7:30 and DS and DH were still in bed. I am supposed to be at work at 8:00, but I think I've only made that once since DS has been in daycare (the first day) and maybe one or two other times since I've been back when DH was still at home. Fortunately my work environment (my manager particularly) is flexible, but it still bothers me to consistenently get there after 8:30. At this point I don't really know what to change... we get almost everything ready the night before, lunch, bottles, diapers, etc., but the early morning just disappears.

Mothering Magazine -- Protect Your Uncircumcised Son: Expert Medical Advice for Parents We had a couple of people ask us if we wanted our son circumcised before we left the hospital. He had been there 17 days and they noticed on his chart (or his body) that he had not been. We said, "no", and that was it. I've read a lot of scary things on the internet about what some people encounter regarding circumcision and other common yet actually optional practices. Either I'm very lucky or Kansas isn't as "backward" as the media makes it out to be. :-)

Improvement

DS slept better and so did I. Perhaps we are both improving. He certainly doesn't like his medicine, but he will drink it down quickly if he is hungry. This morning he ate around 7:15, and by 8:30 he still wouldn't take his medicine so I had to take it to daycare for them to give before his next bottle.

Too Many Toys!

This article reminded me of the comment that DH made when I brought home a giant "exersaucer" like thing shaped like a car from my sister's house. After noticing that there was one at daycare (and the DCP said DS really liked it), I commented to DH that we didn't need one. DS will have lots of toys at daycare that he doesn't need at home... at home he has mom and dad to play with (and some toys, too). So the last time I came home from visiting my sister, I had squeezed this giant car into the front seat (because it wouldn't fit in the trunk!). DH said, "I thought you said we weren't going to get one of those." Oops, busted. So we decided to "loan" it to the church nursery (with sister's permission).

Car Accident

We were in a car accident on the way home from work and day-care today. No one was hurt, but DS did cry from the surprise and small jolt. We were stopped at an intersection and 2 other cars collided and one slid into us. (It was raining.) I put the car in park, turned off the engine, and got in the back seat to check on DS. He was crying but okay otherwise. I got him out of the seat and went about the business of dealing with the other drivers, calling DH, then talking with the police and filling out the paperwork. One of the other drivers was pretty shaky, but I was (and still am) quite calm. It's kind of like the day DS was born and in NICU... I'm doing what needs to be done, but the emotions will probably hit later.

Oh, I almost forgot, DS gained almost 1/2 a pound in the past 2 weeks. I guess that answers my questions about whether my supply is going down. DS has been eating more frequently at night and from both sides in the evenings (which is unusual), so I was wondering if my supply was dipping since I'm not feeling well either. I guess he's just growing!

Antibiotics

We tried to get in to see the doctor yesterday, but our doc was out and one of the others had 2 ladies in labor, so they were pretty swamped at the practice. They offered to write an Rx over the phone, but I declined, so we were worked in this morning. DS's day care provider (DCP) had seen drainage from his ear, but we hadn't. DS hasn't had a fever, but his nasal congestion and cough haven't cleared up from the cold from 3 weeks ago, and the cough is worse and sounds rattley. The doc didn't see any specific signs of an ear infections (what DCP suspected) but her description, his fussiness, the cough, plus us noticing that DS isn't sleeping as well together point to an upper respiratory infection (URI).

I am giddy!

I had 3 washers and dryers leave my house this month. They weren't planned to be part of Flylady's Super Fling Boogie, but it worked out that way. The first set to go were our old ones that needed replacing. The second set to go were the ones we bought to replace them (that didn't do what we were told they would). The third set to go were the ones to replace the second set (which ALSO didn't do what we were told they would do -- we were looking for some very specific features). We resigned ourselves to not getting the features we wanted and bought a cheaper set which were delivered today... and lo and behold, they DO WHAT WE WANT! So 3 washers and 3 dryers out the door, and lots of money back in our pocket. By the way the Frigidaire Gallery will do a cold soak/pre-wash, drain, move automatically into a hot wash (adding the soap to the wash if it's put in the fabric softener dispenser beforehand), rinse in cold, then move automatically into a second rinse after the wash cycle if it is set up correctly. Hallelujah!

Mothering Magazine -- Have Breasts Will Travel: Nursing Discreetly In Public
Mothering Magazine -- To Wean or Not to Wean: Who Says When Is Enough
Mothering Magazine -- Not Just for Babies: 10 Good Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler

We had notes from day-care today. On the back of our daily status page, there was a note that DS had drainage from his right ear "which is a sign of an ear infection" and that he was kind of fussy all day. He was pretty lethargic when DH brought him home, but after eating and a nap we was quite chipper this evening. I think the drainage might have just been ear wax, because he had a lot of it in the right ear, and not as much in the left. He has had a lot of thick sticky ear wax for a couple of months now, because I remember asking the audiologist about cleaning his ears during his hearing test before he turned 4 months old. We took DS's temperature when I fed him this evening, and he did not have a fever. I'm still undecided as to whether we should call the doctor and make an appointment tomorrow.

Staying home and a Wierd dream

I stayed home from work today. We had to take all but one bottle of our milk stash to day-care this morning for DS since I wouldn't be coming at lunch to feed him or bring my morning pumpings. So I have an alarm set to wake me up from my naps so I can pump pretty much on schedule. Just before the last one, I had a wierd dream. I dreamt that I heard DS crying in his crib... I dreamt that I went in there and picked him up and that he had spots all over his face, like Measles or something. Okay, it wasn't a really wierd dream, but I think it's the first time I've dreamt about DS.

I'm coming down with something.

For the past 3 days my throat has felt funny. Kind of like drainage, but without any nasal problems. I've been really tired, too. This afternoon I took a nap because I just felt exhausted. I decided to take my temperature, and I do have a low grade fever. I'm seriously thinking about having DH take DS to day-care tomorrow and staying home and resting. So far, DS doesn't seem affected, but he does still cough once in a while from his cold from last week, and his right eye has goo in it sometimes. (The goo was new yesterday and has been less today.)

Oh, DS has started screeching. We think he learned that sound from one of the older kids at day-care. Sometimes it sounds like singing, but sometimes it is more like screaming. I hope he learns a new sound soon that is quieter.

Feeding the Natural Way

I just finished pumping at my desk in a cubicle. It's not as risky (or risque) as it sounds... of the 5 of us in this room, two are on vacation, two are at lunch, and I'm the other one. Plus it's Friday afternoon, so the chances of me getting walked in on are extremely slim. And even if someone did come to see me, they would only have seen a very small part of my pump, and not heard anything. I am wearing my new Super Secret Nursing Shirt from One Hot Mama. It's great! Very comfortable, and very discreet.

Can I still blame mood swings on hormones?

I had a doozy of one early this evening. I'm mostly recovered from it now, but I felt quite overwhelmed for a while.

Starting Solid Foods

I think DS likes day-care and knows what's coming up when we get there. This morning he was his usual happy but calm / sleepy self while getting ready and on the way. But when I opened the door to get him out of the car, he got a BIG smile and started waving his arms and legs excitedly. I'm really glad that he seems to like it there! I'm starting to appreciate it more, too.

Bobby's Dairy Story - the story of a family whose baby could not have the fat in breastmilk because of a problem after surgery. The parents (and many others) devised a way to make Human skim milk.

Relactation - Susan's story. It makes me want to look into the Medela Classic pump.

It tickles to have my chin latched onto and suckled. Then I laugh, then DS lets go and laughs. I think we have a new game.

I feel much better about day-care today than I did yesterday. Things went well at lunch. DS was happy when I got there, playing in the exersaucer, but he was ready to eat when he saw me getting ready to feed him. I'll need to make a few adjustments with my lunch, but I think this "schedule" will work out pretty well.

We have an artist in the family!

DS participated in "art" yesterday at daycare. They did fingerpainting. I saw the paintings at lunchtime but didn't know if they were from all of the kids or just the bigger ones. Then yesterday evening I found a tiny spot of purple paint on DS's elbow. This morning his painting was on the wall outside of the classroom with the others. I'm a proud mama!

Ask Lenore ~ Interesting Quotes Compiled by Dr. Newman ~ expert opinions and advice
A pair of substantial mammary glands has the advantage over the two hemispheres of the most learned professor's brain, in the art of compounding a nutritious fluid for infants. -- Oliver Wendall Holmes

I am not a happy mommy

It's not really serious, but I do need to sit down with DS's lead teacher and talk about feeding again. When I got there at noon he was happily playing on the mattress under the gym-thingy, looking at the family pictures on the wall. (That's the good part.)

An assistant teacher went and wrote on his chart that he had just had a diaper change. I glanced at the chart and saw that he had last been feed at 11:30. Just 30 minutes ago! I sat down on the floor and played with him, and he spit up a little. Since I have an hour for lunch, I hung around, played some more, he spit up some more, I changed his diaper, and he seemed very happy and content... just a bit sleepy and not at all hungry. So I left without feeding him. I'm not going to try to feed my son when he is not hungry just because I'm on my lunch hour. The thing that bothers me is how late they fed him, instead of calling me. We need to set some standards, both for how late they will feed him before calling me and for what time I will be there for lunch.

It's just a matter of needing better communication, but I got a little teary driving back to work. I'll change my pumping schedule for this afternoon, and hopefully I'll be able to talk with the lead teacher this evening (but sometimes she's not there at 5 when I pick up DS).

Here are some breastfeeding links:
Breastfeeding: Support a Family's Right! from the Larimer County, Colorado - Health and Environment website.
Kathy Dettwyler's Thoughts on Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding.com.  Information, support and attitude!
Sleeping through the Night
Shots Hurts Less with Breastfeeding

He rolled over!!!

My son rolled from his tummy to his back unassisted on Friday. Twice! He did it again on Saturday. Then on Sunday he rolled from his back to his tummy. I saw the first front to back, and DH saw the first back to front. We consider this our "two week warning" for needing to have the living room floor baby-safe.

The doctor confirmed that DS has an upper respiratory infection (aka a cold), just like "Dr. Mom" diagnosed.

I just got a reply from the pumpmoms@yahoo.com email list. Mary says, (with my emphasis)
The hormonal changes associated with your menstrual cycle will definitely affect supply - generally negatively at first. Your description sounds like the classic situation. In the week preceding AF, as hormone levels are building, your supply dips. After ovulation and the egg is not fertilized, AF begins and your supply comes back up. I could always count in lowered supply the week before I expected AF.

You can't do anything about the hormones, but at least you can be prepared, drink plenty of fluids and relax. You may get a little less for a couple days, but stressing about it will make it worse."

Thanks, Mary!

Here is the question I posted:
Does where we are in our monthly cycles affect milk production? If so, what's the pattern?

I just finished my morning pump session at work and got 4 oz when I usually get 2 oz, plus or minus 1/2 oz. I did pump about 30 minutes later than usual, and my son didn't nurse as long as usual this morning, but I would not have expected that big of a jump. After pumping, I went to the bathroom and noticed AF beginning. My son is 4 1/2 months old and I have had 1 light period and 1 close-to-normal period since his birth.

I did have some supply problems last week, but I attributed them to stress (his first week of daycare) and me not drinking enough water. If this is going to be a monthly pattern, I can adjust, but I'd like to know what others think.

Common Concerns When Storing Human Milk lists storage information. The ones that apply to me the most are:
Mature milk - refrigerated (0-4 C, 32-39 F) - 8 days --- home or daycare
Frozen milk - freezer comparment located inside a refrigerator - 2 weeks --- daycare
Frozen milk - separate door refrigerator/freezer - 3 or 4 months --- home
Thawed milk - refrigerated up to 24 hours (do not refreeze) --- usually only daycare

I just got 4 oz when I pumped this morning! Wow! (I usually get about 2, give or take 1/2 an oz.). It was about 30 minutes later than usual, but I didn't expect that big of a jump. DS didn't eat much this morning before I came to work; he just wasn't very interested in nursing even though my last notation was from almost 3 hours earlier. I'm not sure how often he eats at night, though, because I fall asleep while he's nursing and sometimes he will latch back on on his own, or will stir and I'll offer again without noting the time.

I wonder if it has anything to do with my cycle starting again today. Or maybe I'm finally drinking enough water again. Or with his cold, DS just isn't as interested. Or my peanut butter granola bars (the oatmeal) really helps. Or... or... or...

I tried to add a Google search, but it doesn't seem to work right... probably because of the blogger code and the fact the entries are really in a database not hardcoded onto my pages. Oh well.

DS pulled my glasses off me yesterday afternoon. We were at home because the washer and dryer were getting picked up. We are now without clothes washing facilities until next Friday. We have enough diapers to wait until this Friday evening to wash, but I'm not sure if the covers will last since they don't reuse them at day-care.

Things went okay at day-care today. When I got there for lunch, DS was asleep. The lead teacher was back (gone since last Thursday for dental work). We had a little talk about the note that I left for the workers about bottles and diapers. She also requested that I try to have more milk available, since DS seems happier when he can eat more. I told her not to hesitate to thaw and use the "backup" bottle if he needs it. She is a first-time mom, too, and her 8 week old son is on formula, so I trust my instincts more than hers, but she is around him when he gets hungry during the day, so I will try to provide more milk. (There were 3 small bottles when I left this morning and 2 already for tomorrow when I left at lunch.)

There were a couple of (loudly) crying kids at daycare this morning, so I stayed to keep DS calm until the others calmed down a bit. Sometimes when the other kids cry he starts crying, too. He didn't this morning, so I left after a few minutes. At noon, he had just fallen asleep when I got there. It was his first nap of the day, and he was sleeping through quite a racket (crying kids, squeaking rocking chairs, and music that seemed loud to me). I held him while he napped for about 20 minutes, then tried to put him in his crib. He woke up but didn't seem hungry. I changed his wet diaper then fed him. He was more interested in sucking on his fingers than eating, but once he got started he didn't mess around. He fell asleep while eating, so I tried to lay him down again. He woke up again and this time looked ready to play! But I had to go back to work. :-( Hopefully the other kids won't be so fussy this afternoon.

First cold?

My son has his first runny nose. It's not really bad yet, but I won't be surprised if it turns into a real cold. I cried this evening when talking with DH about it. The runny nose and several other "small" things about day-care, plus my sleep deprived state, added up to a little more than I could take for a while. I'm better now, and I know DS will be fine. DH asked what would happen the first time DS did some of the things that little boys will do... I said that the first time he bleeds (from something other than a medical procedure) I will bawl my head off. He thanked me for the warning.

I am shedding like crazy! I wonder when it will get back to normal. I remember a friend telling me about her hair falling out a lot after having her son. No one warned her and she was really worried at first. I also read somewhere that because a pregant woman's hair gets thicker, when the hormones change after she has the baby she will loose the hair normally, but it will seem like a lot more than before.

There will only be 3 kids at day-care today, instead of the usual 6-8 (or 9 next week). My DS is going to get lots of cuddle time. Yea!!!

From The Color of the Day: Solving Bowel Movement Mysteries

Light yellow to bright green, loose/runny, curdy, lumpy, seedy, creamy, mustard-like
These are normal breastfed stools. The consistency, frequency and color vary from day to day. My wife described the smell as "curried yogurt". Opinions on this odor description differ widely.

-- this is what DS's are like. :-}

The Natural Child Project

Dr. Jay Gordon.com - Home - this site was referenced on a Mothering.com discussion forum. It looks good so far!

Just starting to read this article... Changing The Sleep Pattern In The Family Bed... it looks good so far. Take note, that these recommendations are for a baby over 12 months old that is used to the family bed.

Milk

Tuesday DS's care givers used the 2nd frozen bottle of milk. And the lead teacher wrote a note asking if I could bring more milk since he seems so much happier when his tummy is full. :-(

So I'm doing some research to see if there are ways I can increase my milk supply. Here is one that I found Pump List: FAQs: Supply Boosters. Yesterday I pumped twice in the afternoon instead of once. I got less each time, but the total was more. I am working on drinking more water; I had unintentionally cut back because I wasn't filling up my jug at lunch because I wasn't going home anymore. Getting more sleep would be easier if DS slept longer, but since he isn't getting as much milk in the evening (it seems) he is waking more often at night.

I knew daycare would take some adjustments, but I was thinking more about emotional and schedule, not about pumping.

DS slept until 5 this morning! Wow, 7 consecutive hours (and about 5 for me). That kind of got our nursing off schedule, though, so when I pumped this morning at 7:30 I didn't get very much. I didn't get very much at 9:45 either, but hopefully it will be enough for this afternoon so they don't have to use the other frozen bottle of milk for him.

Our frozen stock is getting really low, and I don't know what to do so I can "get ahead". If I were with DS all of the time I would not worry at all about whether he was getting enough milk. If he seemed hungry, I would feed him. And my milk supply would adjust. But when he is bottle fed, my milk supply doen't know that it needs to adjust.

I'm in my 8th week back at work, so the pattern hasn't really changed. I just have a bad feeling about it. Maybe I think that the daycare staff is too quick to give him a bottle, when he might not really be hungry. He will drink it if it's there, but if you distract him or make sure his diaper is okay, that may really be all he needs.

I just got back from feeding DS, and I feel better today than I did this time yesterday (and much better than this morning). DS had about a 30 minute nap this morning, and was quite eager for part 1 of lunch when I got there shortly before 12. He was content for quite a while, so we played a little, then about 12:30 I fed him part 2 of lunch, and he fell asleep. We put him in his crib and he stayed asleep, so I left. He's getting used to all of the people and extra noises, I think. Oh, he still had on his outfit from this morning, too. :-) I put a "doubler" in with the diaper since his first diaper after waking/changing is usually very wet, even at home.

I didn't cry yesterday, but I did today. It wasn't so much because of taking DS to daycare, but that plus a misunderstanding with DH...

DH was planning on coming with us today, to see the routine for dropping DS off and for taking pictures. We were running later today than yesterday, but that didn't bother me since I can easily be late to work, and DH doesn't have to be there until 8:30 (and his normal location is not too far from the day care). Well, as we were getting ready to leave the house, DH said he wasn't taking the camera because of time, I said it would only take a couple of minutes for pictures, and asked "couldn't you be late today?" If he answered that last question, I missed it. I thought, but didn't say, "then why are you coming, if you're not bringing the camera?" I took DS and DH took our bags.

When we got to daycare, DH left the camera in his car and wanted to hurry. I asked why, and he explained that he had a meeting at 8:30 at his secondary location (the one that is closer to home and further from daycare). So I quickly showed him how to sign DS in and took the bags that he brought. Then he left. Then I talked with the teachers, gave them the milk, discussed cloth diapering a bit (since they're all new to that), and kissed and said goodbye to DS. Then I got in the car and cried.

It really isn't a huge deal, but my nerves and "this short" and I didn't sleep well last night. If DH had said something obvious while we were getting ready I could have gotten ready faster. If he had said something specific as we were leaving the house I would have taken all of the bags and suggested that he come on Monday instead of today.

It is just a simple miscommunication, but it pushed me over the emotional edge that I have been teetering on for the past week. So I am sitting here, at my desk at work, wiping my tears with DS's washcloth/droolrag, hoping that no one comes in to see me just yet. I'm glad it's Friday.

It was a lot easier to drop DS off at day care this morning than it was to leave him after lunch.

I called around 11:30 to find out when he had eaten and how hungry he was. They said he ate around 9:30 and seemed pretty hungry. I went right over and fed him (one side only) at 11:45. He fell asleep. I learned that he hadn't napped during the morning because every time they put him down after him falling asleep, he woke back up. I told them about our technique of holding in a blanket to fall asleep for naps, so when he is put in the crib he isn't shocked by the coldness of the sheets. This will be especially important at the CDC because they keep the sleeping room quite cool. After about 15 minutes he woke up and we walked around, then about 12:15 I fed him again (the other side). He stayed awake this time but rubbed his eyes quite a bit. I almost got him to go to sleep a couple of times, but with the noise from the other kids and the squeaky glider-rocker, he didn't really get to sleep. I left around 1, and he was quiet and relatively happy but definitely sleepy. If he does fall asleep, he'll probably be out for 1-2 hours. I sure hope he goes to sleep calmly instead of crying hard and getting so sleepy he can't relax. That's really all that I'm worried about now... that he won't get a nice nap or that he'll get so tired that he crys a lot before napping.

First day of day care

DS was alert and happy this morning when I dropped him off at the Child Development Center. He slept well last night, falling asleep just after 9:30, waking at 3 to be fed, and again at 6. I fed him at 6 and let him go back to sleep, then I got up about 6:30 and started getting ready for work. Most of the preparations for day care were done last night, everything except for getting this morning's milk ready. DH and I got DS up around 7:15, changed his diaper and got him dressed. DS and I got to the CDC at 7:55 and I was getting out of my car to go to work at 8:10. The timing and planning worked pretty well.

To sleep on his own

DS fell asleep on his own last night! After feeding, changing, rocking and feeding him, he was quietly sucking on his fingers and gazing up at me with such a wonderful look on his face. But he didn't really seem ready to go to sleep. So I took him to our bedroom and put him down in the cradle and covered his legs with his blanket. He didn't fuss or cry like he sometimes does, so I left the room quietly. A few minutes later I checked in on him and he was asleep. DH reports that he has done this at naptime a few times lately, but usually needs the help of the musical mobile. This slight move toward less dependence on us reduces my anxiety about daycare just a little. Speaking of daycare... DS starts tomorrow!

4 days to go

DS starts day care in four days. DH is looking forward to it as much as I am dreading it, and for the same reasons. We are going to start trying to get DS up and dressed and fed by 7:30 tomorrow morning. Our bedtime routine works pretty good, but we need to start it earlier, too. We have 3 days to practice. And I have 3 days to work on my attitude! (I have already warned my supervisor to expect me to be a basket case next Thursday and Friday. I'm glad it's a short week.)

Very interesting reading about PCV7, the one that my PCP does not routinely use. Preventing Pneumococcal Disease Among Infants and Young Children

We all survived

We all survived the shots and the rest of the day afterwards. DS was a little fussy, but he is that way sometimes in the afternoon anyway. I let him nurse practically every time he whimpered instead of trying to calm him some other way first and only feed him if he really was hungry. He didn't have any redness or swelling on his legs and seems no worse for the experience now.

Shots

DS got 2 immunizations today. We decided to not have him get the HepB vaccine, and we are going to make a call to our neurologist before having the DTaP (because of DS's seizure experience at birth), and our PCP doesn't do the Pneumococcal routinely. DS had the IPV polio shot and the HiB shot. One concern I had was that if he had several shots and had a reaction, how would we know which one to avoid or what out for next time. By having just 2, I am more comfortable with that. The DTaP is the one that concerned me the most anyway, with the warnings about seizure history, so I'm glad we're waiting. Our PCP didn't seem alarmed that we were not giving DS all of the shots precisely on schedule which was comforting also. He did pretty much encourage us to have them, though, without being overly pushy.

I nursed DS while he was given the shots, which was new for the RN doing the shots. He screamed and cried very hard after the first one, so much so that I couldn't tell when he got the second one. It took a little while before he slowed down his crying enough to resume nursing. I'm glad we were already started nursing and I didn't have to get my shirt, etc. ready while he was crying. I also am glad that I was holding him comfortably instead of him being held down on the exam table. I think it was the right decision, but I sure am sad right now.

Tongue

DS has discovered his tongue! Yesterday I noticed it sticking out past his lips for the first time. Today on the way to church I was playing with him and sticking my tongue in and out. He mimicked me and stuck his out further. We had fun all day today with his tongue. His noises and "talking" sound different now, too. I think it is because his tongue is moving around a lot when he vocalizes.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

NIP:Publications/PinkBook/Normal Format

Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (PROVE)

My DS's next doctor appointment is next Tuesday. It is his "4 month" well baby checkup, a little early. He will be getting any "2 month" vaccines that we decide to have. I've started reading up on vaccinations again. Reflections On Immunity, Vaccinations and Smallpox

Hand to Mouth

DS holds his hands together a lot. If anything is within 6 inches or so of his mouth, his hands go together trying to grab it, then they go towards his mouth. He often grabs the object (especially if it's a blanket or drool rag or his rings) and sometimes he actually gets it to his mouth to chew / drool on.

Enjoy the sounds of children

Yesterday the air conditioning in our church nursery wasn't working very well, so the children (an infant & 4 toddlers) moved to the parlor. It is a large carpeted open area that is separated from the sanctuary only by a thick folding curtain. When the pastor explained the possible noise to the congregation, she said "enjoy the sounds of children". I just about cried. I realized (again) how blessed I am to have my DS!

Hearing is fine

DS passed his hearing test this morning. It was a 3-month follow-up from the testing that was done in NICU. There was one imbalance between the right and left sides in the nerve transmission at very soft levels before, but everything came out balanced and fine this time! That's one more "normal" judgement from the medical profession for him... not that we want him to be "normal", mind you, but it's one less thing to worry about from his traumatic first few days.

Surrender

That's what it takes to care for an infant without going crazy. You have to surrender your schedule and your desires, and submit to the baby's needs. No more "getting lots of things done." No more spur of the moment lunches out. No more hours of television watching or 'net surfing. Fifteen minutes of quiet "adult time" is now a lot of time. It's a big adjustment. It's good once it's accepted as what is needed at this time.

Doing the grocery shopping together is great. Being the one to do the shopping while the other one stays home with the baby is sometimes even better. I now understand my mother so much better! Too bad she's not around for me to tell her that. Tomorrow will be the 4th anniversary of her death. Sometimes I really miss her a lot!

Time flies!

One year ago today we had the egg retrieval for our IVF. Tonight I just finished putting my 3 month old son to sleep. Wow! In a way it doesn't seem like that long ago, but it also seems like a lifetime, DS's lifetime.

I don't get enough sleep. That's probably very common for new moms. Now that I am back to work, I don't get my naps. And after putting DS to bed, I stay up and watch the news or catch up on email or do a little (emphasis on little) housework. Sometimes DS will surprise me and sleep 5-6 hours in a row, but usually it is still 3-4 at night, and sometimes only 2-3 at a time.

I should go to bed now, but I need to get my clothes and breastpumps ready for tomorrow. I have 2, one Medela mini-electric that I use at home on one side before I go to work, after feeding DS on the other side. The other is an Avent ISIS manual that I take to work. It works just as fast and as well as the mini-electric, is quieter and more comfortable, and may even get let-down to come faster. By having 2, I don't have to wash one immediately after using it in the morning before going to work. I just rinse the milk out and wash it later in the evening.

He laughed!

DS laughed today! It definitely was a happy laugh, not just a noise that sounded like a laugh. I was holding him kind of funny and jiggled him from side to side, and he laughed. I wasn't sure at first, so I did it again, and he laughed again, and again, and again!

DH caught my cold (which I'm almost over), and we're not sure is DS is coming down with it or not. He is sneezing a few more times than usual, but doesn't really show any other symptoms.

Party!

Yesterday we went to a BBQ with the other couples in our Bradley childbirth class. It was great to get together with them and their babies! DS was the youngest, but he wasn't the smallest. The oldest, a girl, was smaller than him. She was born about 6 weeks early. Most of the time the mommies and daddies held the babies, but we did lay them all down on the floor (in order of appearance) for some pictures. It was cute to see them interacting a bit and to compare sizes. I suggested that we get together again, and one of the other moms suggested a playgroup. DH wondered if he could drop DS off at the playgroup and leave. I answered only if he were willing to have one of the others dropped off with him sometimes -- that's the difference between babysitting swapping and a playgroup.

I have a cold

I felt it start to come on Friday evening. By Saturday it was full-blown (no pun intended). My PCP's partner said anything except cold medicines with alcohol (like Nyquil) are okay when breastfeeding. That's nice, because Dayquil & 12-hour sudafed & Tylenol will do good enough. I'm really tired today, but the cold symptoms are pretty well under control. I just hope that the immune boosting qualities of breastmilk are good enough to keep DS from catching my cold. So far so good, we'll know in a couple of days for sure, though.

I'm not pregnant

Okay, that's no surprise, but I have bright red proof! I've read and been told that breastfeeding will often delay the return of a woman's period. No such luck for me. Actually 9 months without it was nice, but the lochia bleeding for several weeks after giving birth pretty much made up for that. My lochia was actually light and short, from what I've been told. Since my Dr. "cleaned me out" during the c-section, there was less bleeding afterward than had I delivered vaginally.

My first week back to work went okay. I didn't have as much angst about it as I thought I would. That's probably because I left DS home with DH instead of having to take him to a sitter or daycare. DH is doing better now, too. :-) I picked up all the enrollment paperwork from the Child Development Center (CDC) where I work yesterday. We plan to have DS start there when classes start in late August.

2nd day at work

DS came to work today for lunch. DH had an 11 o'clock appointment near where I work, so instead of me going home (across town), DH brought DS to me. I brought his stroller up to my office and he watched me work for a little while, then I fed him (my co-workers all happened to be conveniently gone to lunch). Shortly after DS finished eating, DH called because he finished early. So he picked us both up and we went out to lunch, then DH took DS back home. It was a nice break.

DS is sleeping in my arm as I type this, this evening. I came home for lunch and fed him. He and Dad were both fine. I was okay, too, but very glad to see, hold, and smell him!

I'm back at work

I left DS with DH this morning, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. After feeding DS, I rolled over and told DH "I'm going to take my shower, he's all yours." Before coming out of the bathroom I heard crying. By the time I was ready to go, DS had a dry diaper and was gurgling and cooing in his crib happy.

I'm still trying to get a pumping location set up at work. We have a room with a lock now, but I couldn't find any electrical outlets. (It's a very large storage room with plenty of room for a nice chair, desk, pictures, etc., but it wasn't designed as a work space.) Instead of using my batteries, I went to the women's restroom. The pump works with batteries, just not a well, and the women's restroom is a one-seater so I locked the door and sat on the floor.