Being a young mom means we met a little early, but I get to love them longer.


Here are some links to helpful posts I have done in the past :)

Learn about car seat safety HERE!

Need breastfeeding advice? Click HERE for lots of helpful tips!

Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers

Lilypie Second Birthday tickers

Lilypie Breastfeeding tickers

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Breastfeeding.. and a little bit more

So my experience with breastfeeding Grace was horrendous, but I have done I lot more research this time, and I have found a lot more resources that can hopefully help me avoid the problems I had breastfeeding Grace. I am determined to try to breastfeed Brentley, especially since I won't have to go back to school. However, I have been worried about whether or not I will be able to produce milk again because of how I pretty much stopped cold-turkey with Grace. I have heard that that can mess up the glands, and make it where they will never produce again, but I'm think I have nothing to worry about now.. When I was about six and a half months pregnant with Grace I began leaking, and now here at 5 and a half months along with Brentley I have once again started leaking.. I know that is TMI, but I'm excited that it looks like my body is already starting to begin to ready itself for breastfeeding. Aside from that, I am also annoyed.. time to go buy pads to put in my bra :( And it's happening a month earlier than it did with Grace, but oh well.. it will be the best for my little man. Now I at least I know that we can buy things to prepare for breastfeeding and they won't be a complete waste. Especially since I plan on getting an arsenal of stuff this time lol. I plan on having a double electric pump, a bra that holds the pump on hands free, at least one breastfeeding cover, and at least 4 other things.. We plan on having about $200 invested in breastfeeding stuff alone.

Only 15 weeks to go now (I was 25 weeks as of yesterday), and only 9 weeks until the shower! I just found out the double stroller we want is on sale right now for $109.99 (it's originally $149.99). We are going to try to see if we can afford to go ahead and buy it. I know $40 isn't a ton, but that's $40 extra we would have to spend on other baby things. We'll see though. We weren't expecting to spend that so we don't know if we can or not.. especially since I didn't work AGAIN Friday due to the stupid rain..
The weather around here has been crazy lately! It was 90 degrees two days ago, and today it was cloudy and 60 degrees, and we had an outdoor birthday party to go to today.. it was so cold!




Jackets and long sleeves in May :( Spring is supposed to be a break from winter and summer,  but no, around here there is no spring. One day it's summer, then the next day we are back to winter. I want fall to hurry up. I have already figured out that I am going to be miserable because it has been pretty hot a couple of days, and me and my prego belly wanted to go crawl in a freezer.. I can only imagine how bad it is going to be going through the rest of the summer as it gets hotter and hotter AND I'm getting bigger and bigger :(

Also, we got roped into watching Chris brother most of the day yesterday, and then overnight :( All I can say is that if either one of my children EVER acts like he does they better be prepared for a serious spanking! And I don't even really agree with spanking, but this kid needs to have his butt handed to him. He's 10 years old, and he has never outgrown his terrible twos. Again, he's 10 years old, and guess how many time he threw a t-total fit while he was here? 7 times!! And yes, I mean screaming and crying because he's not getting his way. One time last night Grace bumped into him, and he screamed "Grace stop!" Well obviously that didn't go over well with us, so Chris told him he was not allowed to yell at Grace, well his brother starts screaming "I didn't mean to!!" Umm hello kid, we aren't stupid. There is no way that you can't mean to yell at someone. Chris was like "Yes, you did." So he starts balling like a little baby. Then later Chris brought it up again calmly because he was trying to explain it and the kid starts freaking out again. Then he got mad because we told him he coudn't play video games after we went to bed, and started screaming and crying again! It was 1 am.. of course we aren't going to let him stay up and play video games, but Chris' mom does.. she lets him stay up as late as he wants.. even on school nights! Chris actually had to hide the Xbox controllers from him >:( Then this morning he was mad that Chris didn't want to play video games. He kept stomping around the house, huffing and puffing, and saying how bored he was. Chris' mom FINALLY comes to get him around 2 pm today, and as soon as she comes in the door he starts the water works. He starts saying that Chris wouldn't let him play video games, even though they played for 6 hours yesterday and Chris took him to Sir Gooney's to ride the go-carts (which he threw a fit there too because he "had a slow go-cart"). But anyway Chris started telling his mom how long they played the video games the day before, so he runs out the door and slams it on the way out! How rude! He sat in the car crying for 20 minutes, then came back in, and started screaming about how he didn't have a controller, and that Chris stole his controller and his Fallout 3 game. We never had his Fallout 3 game, and he left his controller one day and we took it back to him the next day. I have had just about all I can take of this kid..
When the tornados were happening he pitched a fit because his mom wanted him to sleep on the couch, so Chris, Grace, and I could sleep in his queen bed. Just for one night, and he started screaming, crying, slamming doors, etc. So we went home, and slept in the dark (we still had no power). Then the next day we went over there only to find out that he had stolen Chris' touch screen MP3 player! He was hiding it from Chris. We thought we had lost it, but no he stole it.
This is also the same kid that at Christmas would open a present, look at it, and mention what he would have rather had instead, then pitched a fit because he opened all his presents before everyone else and wanted to go play a video game, his mom told him no, to spend time with the family ON CHRISTMAS, and he threw a huge fit, and guess what? He got his way!
I also mentioned on here before that he destroyed a pillow I made for Chris.. it was a full sized pillow that took me weeks to hand sew, and I gave it to Chris for Christmas. Chris was still living at his moms at this point (way before Grace), and apparently Chris made his brother mad somehow, so he snuck into Chris' room and drew all over the pillow with a sharpi, then tried to blame it on his best friend, and Chris' mom believed him! He finally admitted it though. I also used to draw a lot, and I drew Chris a picture that took me hours to draw. It said "I love you" on it, well he took a pen, scribbled out the word love, and wrote "hate".. :(
I hate ever buying him anything (like for Christmas or his birthday) because he acts like we were supposed to, and NEVER once has he ever said thank-you for anything we have gotten him.. I really just cannot explain how much I dislike this child. I think what really did it in for me was one time, Chris, Grace, Chris' brother, Chris' mom, and I were in the mall. Grace was only 2 weeks old.. she was in her travel system, and it was sitting about two feet from me in the isle. I was looking at baby clothes, and Chris did something that made his brother mad. His brother didn't think anyone could see him because where I was standing he couldn't see me, so he ran up to Grace's stroller with his fist balled like he was going to punch her, then he saw me. I was about to murder him, I swear I was. I was fuming. I cannot imagine what would have happened to my two week old little girl if I had had my back turned.. that is one thing I will never be able to forgive him for..

9 comments:

  1. I cannot wait for your shower.!! Its gonna be so fun. And I have a great gift for you.!! By the way...that playground is 15 minutes from my house if its the one i'm thinking of. Lol.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's Imagination Station in Collegedale..

    ReplyDelete
  3. I want to breast feed or at least pump for baby #4 shows up. Especially if it is a winter baby like Ellanoa. She has been so sick. Like I have mentioned before... Sections cause a lot of loss of blood to the baby.... It takes the babies 6 months to replenish the blood loss because they are immediately cut from the cord so the blood that is in the placenta and cord did not get to drain back into them. But this leaves the babies with a lower immune system. And since the baby lives off of the mothers immune system for the first 6 months of life .... Ellanoa was screwed because of my low iron and immune system. But if babies receive breast milk they continue to get the mothers antibodies. So to some it up I think it would keep my baby healthier
    Only issue is school...but if I pump then the baby can still use the milk. But I also fear nipple confusion so I may pump from the beginning so that the baby will take a bottle from the get go. Sorry didn't mean to say that much. Haha!!!
    That little boy does need a whooping. I would of gave him a beating he wouldn't forget. Spanking was how I grew up and the only form of punishment I knew so of course like everything when I became a mom I followed what I knew(like formula feeding,etc) but I have gotten a lot better. But sometimes it is called for but mam does it break my heart. I always make sure to give them a noise pop more than one that hurts. The noise catches their attention and let's them know mommy isn't playing. Haha!!! I admire you for not going the spanking route. I always feel like the worse mom when I have to resort to that and with 2 toddlers 10 months apart it is an every day thing. Grrr.
    Anyways I have one of those breast feeding gifts for you. It's not much but I thought it was cute. I don't want to send it until I have more money to get a couple more things for you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I understand what you mean. I didn't know that about c-sections though.. about them not getting all the blood. Grace's immune system was dampened due to the meconium. There wasn't enough in her lungs for them to put her in ICU, but I can definitely tell it has affected her after 2 rounds of RSV, a horrible viral infection, two different tummy bugs, an ear infection, and countless colds.. and that is with two months of breastfeeding. I cannot imagine how bad it would have been if she hadn't had the breastmilk. I know it is best for Brentley because of that, but I am so scared to try it again.. it was so painful last time because of the way I am formed, but I have learned lots of techniques to get around that now, so I'm going to give it another try for my baby.

    I'm not completely against spanking. I do think there are times that it is called for.. Like if Grace is going for somethingg dangerous I will pop her hand because I want her to get the message loud and clear. But I have figured out that she actually responds better to me being positive.. like when she climbs on something I will say "Grace, you need to be a good girl for mommy and get down." Then when she gets down I will reinforce it by saying "That is such a good girl Gracy!!" She responds so well to that. I am just against the spanking for every little thing that happens. I am also against spanking for hitting.. like if Grace hits someone I think it sends the wrong message if I hit her while I'm telling her it's wrong to hit. I feel like it confuses her. but I do think there are times when spanking is called for.

    And that is so sweet that you have already bought something :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, and while I won't spank her if she hits someone I don't just let her get away with it. I will take her to the side, get her to look me in the eyes, and tell her that good girls don't hit other people because it hurts. She understands what hurt is now, and she is pretty good about playing nicely.
    I am also against spanking with anything other than a hand.. like a switch, paddle, etc. And against spankings on anything other than the hand, thigh, or bottom.
    However, those are just my personal preferences. I don't judge people who do it differently than me because I know every kid responds differently. The only thing I really can't stand to see is when someone hits their child in the face.. even if it is just one slap, I hate it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would breastfeed another one if we ever did have more. I wish I could have done it with Samantha. It just didn't work. :( I wish I would have tried harder.
    But anyway, if one of MY children ever acted like that, forget spanking, I would tear them up and lock them in a closet for a week!!! Reading that just made me angry! UGH! Why did ya'll have to watch him overnight? I'd be afraid he'd tear up the house while I was sleeping!
    Whose birthday party was it? Ya. I didn't realize it was going to be cold and Samantha and I wore spring dresses to church.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yea. I'm not formed for breast feeding either but I really want to true. Like I said even if I have to pump.
    I don't spank for every little thing. I do what you do. But like you said every kid is different. Kaedyn responds to positive reinforcement where as Charleigh thinks she is getting away with it. She responds to spankings and when I say spankings a mean a whack on the butt or hand never on the face. And I never use anything but my hand. And I use it as a last resort kinda thing. I will try time out which unfortunately Charleigh is no good at because she can't stay still. Kaedyn go do t but usually I have to put Charleigh in her bed and tell her when she calms down and listens to mommy she can get out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Brittany, I really wish I would have researched more about breastfeeding before I had Grace. I think it would have saved me a lot of pain, and I would have been able to feed Grace longer, so I wish I would have tried harder too.
    As far as Dylan goes, I wanted to lock him outside. I really did. He is the main reason I don't like going over to Chris' mom's house now because he always has to start pitching a fit about something, and I am afraid Grace is going to pick up on that, and start acting like that. I still don't know why we had to watch him overnight.. We agreed to watch him on the 14th because it was chris' mom and her husband's anniversary. We called to see when to bring him home, and they said we couldn't because they weren't going to be home, so we had to keep him overnight. I don't know what they were doing and I don't think I want to lol.
    The birthday party was for this little girl named Cloey we know. Her and her mom and dad used to live next door to my dad.

    Jessika, the pump helped me a lot, but I didn't get on until about a month after I had Grace, and it was a single pump. there's nothing wrong with a single pump, it just takes literally an hour to pump both breasts. I don't have that kind of time, so I want a double pump so I can cut that time in half.
    Grace does not respond to time outs at all. I think she may just be too young at this point, so I'm glad she responds to positive reinforcement. Honestly, the few times I have spanked her it didn't do anything either.. the only thing she responds to is the positive reinforcement..

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ha Ha. That is weird. I'd be irritated. Ya. I am afraid Samantha will pick up certain behaviors from certain people we are around to. In fact, there is this one little boy, when she sees him, she will start to act like him, throwing fits, thinking she can do what she wants. And I hate it, because we have to break her of it almost every time she sees him, which is often.

    ReplyDelete