comic relief

One of my good friends and a mama-to-be shared these with me! They are a great comic relief....and oh so very true! Thanks Doris!

Baby Breastfeeding Blues!

Tomorrow, I will finally feature my bucket list with some more stories!

boobs & a wedding

First off- I hope everyone was able to attend the “Big Latch On” events held across the states!

Wedding in Oct 2012! Look how little she is!

Secondly- we were out of town this weekend for a fabulous wedding (Chet & Krista Aliga’s wedding). Estella did amazing the entire weekend from the long road trip, dancing the night away (extended her bedtime a little), the drive to Rockford to pick up Oliver and then home, and walking around briefly University of Iowa (my undergrad).

I apologize for my lack of blog yesterday. As you can tell, we had an extremely busy weekend!

The first wedding that I nursed Estella was in Michigan when she was 3 weeks old. Yes we traveled with a 3 week old newborn and it was ... well exactly what it sounds like. DIFFICULT. I was new at this whole thing at that point...my nipples still hurt so badly and Estella was not use to breastfeeding yet. I was also breastfeeding on demand (which I still do) but we didn’t have the “rhythm” we do now. I hid away in a different room to feed her and still remember feeling so stressed....being there in a wedding (pretty much by myself because Ryan was in the wedding) with loud music, loud people, a newborn who nursed for 30-45 minutes every two hours....oh man oh man. How times have changed.

 

This was Estella’s second wedding. We were out in the open! I nursed her to while walking around during cocktail hour! Yup! I had the cover on because she fell asleep and it helps to keep her from looking around....it also helps build my upper body strength because she’s quite heavy now.

Well, I wasn’t sure how people would react to the situation but I didn’t care. My baby needed her nap (so mama & dada could have a chance at enjoying the reception) and she was hungry! Within the first 5 minutes, a woman came up to me and said “GOOD FOR YOU! I love seeing moms still nursing their babies.” It was a great encouragement. We then talked about how our goal was to nurse until at least 2 years old and then she said, “Oh you don’t even want to know how long I nursed my babies till...you’ll think I’m crazy!”

Ryan and I thanked her for the encouragement and both were stunned to receive such a positive reaction! It made me feel so good. I mean, yes, I know what I’m doing is great and I love it! But it’s always nice to get recognition from complete strangers...other than the common reaction, “Oh my gosh, you’re still nursing?!”

Then about 5 minutes after that, another woman came up to us and said “I am so proud of you...to see mothers still nursing. You feel comfortable to nurse that beautiful baby whenever and wherever you want. Me and (she listed other moms) started the breastfeeding support group here so be comfortable because you are in GOOD COMPANY! Heck, you don’t even need that cover if you don’t want it. We will support you!”

I was speechless. Ryan was too. We thanked her over and over again for the encouragement but we really didn’t know what to say or how to say it.

It made my heart smile...it made my eyes water. Wow. She wasn’t just encouraging but she uplifted us. We know what we’re doing is for Estella’s best interest. It’s for MY best as well. Well, and even for Ryan’s wallet too! It saves us so much money (haha). Sometimes, getting the stares and dirty looks gets frustrating but this one moment really takes all those frustrations away.

So although, I checked off a location from my bucket list (*a wedding) a while ago, this time around, it was much more positive and memorable. The wedding was beautiful and the atmosphere was filled with love. So many mothers we passed smiled at us and I knew what their looks were saying.

They all went through it with their multiple children. They were proud of me...it made me feel like a superhero.

Typical location for pumping: Creepy parking garage....haha! ;)

August 3rd 2013- Chicago, IL

The first outlet we found that didn't work...

I had a very busy day yesterday filled with packing, errands, and hanging out in the city with my best friends for the BACKSTREET BOYS concert.

Yes. I am THAT girl. I loved them when I was a teen and I still have LOVE for them! They were so AWESOME by the way...my love has been rekindled...I lost my voice from all the sceaming/singing we did...and I plan to buy their new album soon!

CREEEEEEPY!!

Anyhow-I am still typing up my “BREASTFEEDING BUCKET LIST” to share with you but today; I wanted to share the most unconventional place I had to find to pump since I was away from Estella for an extended period of time.

Some of you are probably thinking I could have just waited it out to get home, but after 2 excruciating experiences with multiple plugged ducts that almost led to mastitis, I packed up my pump along with my purse to head out to Chicago.

I thought I was so prepared. I even packed up a small cooler to store the milk and everything. Then as I was about to pump in the car on the way to the concert, I realized the biggest mistake of them all.

I forgot to grab batteries for the battery pack option of the pump. UGH dummy! I’m so use to having access to an outlet, that I didn’t even consider batteries. Then 5 seconds later after realizing the dread of it, my boobs reminded me. I had letdown and they were starting to feel “hard”. My heart dropped. Oh no....should I just rough it out and risk getting plugged ducts or just carry my sexy (not sexy...haha) pump backpack around while looking for outlets?!!

Yup...it's happening....

Well after parking in the parking garage, we got lost trying to get out.. but it actually worked out for us. We found an outlet and yes it was out in the open, but I didn’t care. My friends shielded me and I had my boob out and everything...and yes people walked by.....then oh no. The outlet didn’t work. GREEAAATT....

Our search continued. We found another outlet but it was in the creepiest corner of the parking garage ever. The perfect corner for a drug deal or murder or something!! But the outlet WORKED! The sweet sound of the pump made us all jump up and down and squeal!

My proud stash of liquid GOLD!

Darlene proceeded to put the backpack on so that I could pump (hilarious) and bam bam bam..10 minutes later, and I pumped about 8 ounces. I am a milk machine. Serious. My letdown is no joke and Estella still gets sprayed in the face sometime...sorry TMI! So I really could have pumped more but 1. I didn’t want to have to change pump bags etc since we weren’t in a very sterile environment and 2.  I wanted to get to the concert!

People walked by and probably just thought we were dealing or doing drugs because we were huddled and giggling the whole time! My friends were amazing and so supportive. The whole time they reminded me of how good of a mom I am while standing in awe that something was coming out of my boobs at the same time. They don’t have kids of their own yet (Maria has a step-daughter) but haven’t had the experience of breastfeeding, however I feel that I was able to inspire them...show them the power of our bodies...the beauty of being able to provide nourishment to another human being..and lastly, I hope I was able to show them how normal it all really can be...even in the weirdest and most inconvenient circumstances.

I love them!!

I had a goal. The concert wasn’t the only goal in my horizon that day. My goal was to still be able to provide to my daughter and take care of my body at the same time. Enjoying the concert with the three best friends a girl could ask for, was the cherry on top of such a fabulous day!

:)

Show em' your boobs!

 

 We will be out of a town this weekend but this looks like a great event to celebrate WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK/MONTH! 

Let me know if any of you are able to go! I would love to feature your experience on the blog. 

Happy World Breastfeeding Week (and MONTH!)

Hey everyone! 

I’m back! It seems that life has taken a hold of me and blogging has not been a priority so I apologize.

Ryan and I have made the decision to introduce more privacy in our lives for the sake of protecting Estella so my monthly updates of her have come to a halt (although, I am still updating and writing in her personal journal on my own).

I want to utilize my blog in a different way now...more so to reach out to the large community of moms out there, foodies, and health fanatics (considering all those things describe me completely hehe).

August is a very special month and the first week as well! It’s WORLD BREASTFEEDING MONTH (today is the start of world breastfeeding week!). There are so many movements and projects out there to promote the support for breastfeeding (especially the ability to nurse in public without judgment), so I wanted to start my own.

I’ve reached out to moms that I know share the same passion and love for nursing their babies (of all ages) to join me in what I like to call “ MY BREASTFEEDING BUCKETLIST”.

For anyone that has spoken to me about breastfeeding or seen any pictures I’ve posted, I’ve talked about all the random places I’ve had to bust out the boob and cover to feed my screaming hungry baby. Places have ranged from walking around Woodfield (yes literally walking and nursing in the Ergo), random spots in Target, on the sidewalk in the middle of Chicago, Cubs game, on a moving tractor, downtown Chicago, in church, etc etc. 

I will share my bucketlist with you, along with all the locations I've already completed and documented (with pictures!). The moms I've reached out to will be doing the same and may even share their breastfeeding story with you as well.

So this “awareness” project that I am sharing with all of you with some support from moms from all over, is really about awareness. If you are a mom who does not breastfeed, you are still an amazing mother. This isn’t about making you feel bad so if you are that mom right now reading this, please please please, don’t feel that way. 

This is really about shedding light on the moms who choose to breastfeed...providing support for more successful journeys, providing tips or products that other moms have used that have worked, and shedding the notion that breastfeeding needs to be a private thing hidden away.  

I don’t think being a bold breastfeeding mama has to be done without a nursing cover. I love breastfeeding with or without it, but this project is to open the world of possibilities for moms to breastfeed in general and in public with what makes that mom feel comfortable. Some moms don’t want or need a cover and some moms (who are a little more “blessed” haha), feel the need to use a cover to preserve their own personal modesty. Either way, they are still bold and badass!

So join me in this project! I will introduce you to fellow bold mamas who use their natural ability to bond with their children plus lots and lots of other research and stories to help you feel comfortable with breastfeeding.

If you would like to join this project, it’s not too late! I will be taking entries from mamas all month long.

To kick it off, it's only appropriate to join the craze with the new ROYAL BABY- Prince George!!

 Not only is Kate Middleton showing off her actual post-baby body and inspiring women all over the world, but yes you guessed it! She is BREASTFEEDING and have been doing it successfully! 

You can read more about it here: Baby Prince George

We will start off tomorrow with my bucket list and some pictures I've documented thus far. I hope you are all as excited as I am! :)

Thank you and much love to you all!

my very very late 8 month update! Where did the time go?!

35 weeks old :) 

Height/Weight

19 pounds (Gained 1.25 pounds in TWO months) = ~60-70^th percentile

Birth- 7 pounds 12 oz

29 inches (Gained 1.25 in TWO months) = 97^th percentile

Birth- 20 inches

18.5 inches (head circumference Gained 1/2 in TWO months) = over 98^th percentile (hehe)

Birth- 14 inches

31 weeks 4/27/2013

Size:

She can still fit 9 month tops but we mainly dress her in 12 month or 12-18 months clothes. I think this is where she’ll be for a while since her growth has finally started to slow down a bit.

32 weeks- 5/5/2013

Favorites:

Food- BREASTMILK! 

We have introduced “solid” foods. She’s had these foods in some form or another: avocado, kale, beets, strawberries, banana, apples, carrots,  yellow squash, sweet potato (probably her favorite), carrots, broccoli, wild blueberries, and clementines. Majority of these were in her smoothie for the day that she loved to drink out of her cup (without a sippy top) and the rest was steamed.

We’ve been giving her the food on her tray and waiting for her to feed herself, but she prefers for us to give it to her in a spoon or for her to “spoon feed” herself.

Overall, she is still very into BREASTMILK as her main source of nutrients right  now and we are very happy about that. I know the “solid food” experience for her right now is just...well an experience. She’s gradually getting more into it so we’ll see.

33 weeks 5/14/2013

Book- “Guess who?” and “Peek a –“ books have been her favorite because they have little mirrors that she gets to look at herself in. Super cute books and I would recommend it!

34 weeks- 5/19/2013

Song- I have to say her favorite song is the “Small potatoes” theme song! Apparently, any song her dad sings her is her favorite because he incorporates her name into every song. She just smiles in awe! If she’s upset or sad though, singing small potatoes is MONEY!

Play date with her friends Lauren and Ellasyn on 5/10/2013

Toy- Her favorite toys have to be her magnetic ball toys. They are meant for pre-school age but she is so intrigued by them and loves connecting the magnets. Pretty astounding! Grandma Dorough brings her toys when we see her and it doesn’t matter what it is, she automatically loves it.

Non-toy toy- EVERYTHING!!! Grabby hands! She loves these Asian jello cups that I put in the freezer. She actually “army crawls” for it!

Fun at Gymboree! She loves it!

Time of day- If you can catch her in the morning, that’s probably the best! She sleeps so well (most of the nights) and when she wakes up, she is in the best mood! Although, she also loves when her daddy comes home too.

TV show- Anything “Small potato” related. I showed her Yo Gabba Gabba and she isn’t a fan.

Thing to giggle at- She loves playing peek-a-boo and will actually cover her face up with the blanket herself! Peek a boo is a big hit but lately any funny noise will make her belly laugh!

Firsts/Milestones:

- words? Yeah...our baby girl is a babble queen! She has already said the following: ma, na, da, ba, la à and in various combinations. Here is a video of her mimicking me say “Owwwieee”...Ok not an actual word but she’s very into repeating things now!

Such a daddy's girl...she will scream dada all day long...and not once will she say mama. She use to though! :/

- Sitting is going so well! She now can go from a flat tummy position into a full seated position. Amazing and strong core!

She had so much fun with her Gma Dorough when she came to visit! 

- Estella is still teething! I got a glance of her gums and they are swollen with white bulges! Looks so painful! Our poor little baby! But she’s dealing with it so well!

-Here are some videos of our past month (+/- a couple weeks) to show you how much we’ve enjoyed our life with our baby girl:

Seven months have flown!

Look at our big girl! She is officially a PRO at sitting! 

Height/Weight (stats from her 6 month check up)

17.75 pounds (Gained 4.25 pounds in TWO months) = ~80^th percentile

Birth- 7 pounds 12 oz

27.75 inches (Gained 2.25 in TWO months) = 95^th percentile

Birth- 20 inches

18 inches (head circumference Gained 1 in TWO months) = over 98^th percentile (hehe)

Birth- 14 inches

Size:

Still in 9-12 and some 12 months. I have a crib full of clothes she can’t fit and the drawers are getting emptier and emptier...time to hit up some resales for 12 month and up clothing! Wah wah wah!

Favorites:

Food- BREASTMILK! 

I think people stopped asking us when we’re introducing solids after realizing that her growth has been 100% from BMilk. However, after paying attention to more and more of her cues, we think it may be time for her to start “exploring”...that doesn’t necessarily mean she will actually EAT. It’s really up to her.

This week is an exciting week. She will sit in her high chair for the first time and we’ll put avocado on her tray and let her decide what to do with it. The best part of this will be watching her figure out how 

to feed herself!

Book- “Guess who?” and “Peek a –“ books have been her favorite because they have little mirrors that she gets to look at herself in. Super cute books and I would recommend it!

"Guess Who?" Book

Song- I have to say her favorite song is the “Small potatoes” theme song! Apparently, any song her dad sings her is her favorite because he incorporates her name into every song. She just smiles in awe!

Toy- Her favorite toys have to be her magnetic ball toys. They are meant for pre-school age but she is so intrigued by them and loves connecting the magnets. Pretty astounding!

Non-toy toy- EVERYTHING!!! Grabby hands!

Time of day- If you can catch her in the morning, that’s probably the best! She sleeps so well (most of the nights) and when she wakes up, she is in the best mood! Although, she also loves when her daddy comes home too.

TV show- She loves “Small Potatoes” which comes on Disney during the commercial breaks. However, now that she is so fascinated by the plethora of toys and the fact that she is more mobile, she doesn’t take as much of an interest in the TV now.

Thing to giggle at- She loves playing peek-a-boo and will actually cover her face up with the blanket herself!

3/29/13 - 27 weeks old

Firsts/Milestones:

- words? Yeah...our baby girl is a babble queen! She has already said the following: ma, na, da, ba, la à and in various combinations. Ryan got jealous that she was saying MAMA so often so he got her to say DADA and she wouldn’t say anything else for a whole week! She’s back to calling for us both which makes me happy. She also says “Nigh Nigh” and fusses when she’s ready for a nap. Ryan and I still wonder if we just give her a ton of credit or if she’s actually doing it, and I really think she does! We have witnesses too!

- Sitting is going so well! She can sit by herself for minutes at a time and when she begins to wobble, she catches herself. So sweet!

- Estella is still teething! I got a glance of her gums and they are swollen with white bulges! Looks so painful! Our poor little baby! But she’s dealing with it so well!

- Ryan and I came down with the “Stomach flu” (yuck!) and we were crossing our fingers Estella wouldn’t get it...but she did! She had her first fever and small bouts of vomiting/watery stools. But no worries, she’s on the road to recovery and we have tons of laundry to show for it.

- Estella also had her first experience in preschool to celebrate turning 7 months here:

- And even ran a school board meeting all by herself here (haha):

We had a good weekend in Michigan (not a terrible drive either except hitting traffic on the way home) and went to see her grandma Dorough’s work place and get dibs on some awesome educational toys for her.

- Here is a video of more giggles- This is how Ryan plays with her haha....she may look terrified at some points but she was really having the time of her life. When he stopped she would yell for more!

- Oliver is getting more comfortable with her and she loves him! Although she pulls a little too hard on his fur sometimes, she really just wants to be his buddy even though he could care less right now. Here is a video of her “playing” with him:

- First experience with something other than breast milk was avocado this week- she wasn’t too impressed. Since we are doing “baby led weaning”, we’ve noticed she has not actually eaten any significant amount just yet but has become more and more interested as we have added breakfast and dinner time to her daily routine.