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.