1) I have officially started working on Eleanor's scrapbook. It is going to be a BIG project.
2) We had a fun filled, family packed weekend last weekend. Eleanor loved hanging out with her cousins.
3) We also had a great time celebrating our friend's, Anne, retirement.
4) Eleanor had a great 9-month Baby Well Visit on Monday. She is being referred to a specialist for her clogged tear duct. Sounds like surgery will be in the future for her.
5) I was sick with some form of the flu for the 3rd time since February! I hadn't been sick with the flu for how many year prior to this and then this year I get my flu & H1N1 shot and I get sick a ton. Because of that, we missed our Company's day at the State Fair.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
I will help, Mommy!
I know she doesn't get it from Nick. And I am not sure if she gets it from me. But Eleanor loves to 'help' empty the dishwasher. I think she likes it because she can practice her standing and reach in to grab things. I hope she continues to enjoy this task.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
9-Month Well Visit
Eleanor had her 9-month well visit on Monday. She is developing right on track and doing great. We are being referred to a specialist for her clogged tear duct, most likely a surgery is in her future within the next six month. The highlight of the trip (besides the book she got to take home), was Nick getting permission to take her in the bike trailer! I know what he will be purchasing in the next few days.
Here are her stats from the visit:
Height: 28 3/4 inches (87th percentile)
Weight: 20 pounds 6 ounces (77th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17 3/4 inches (81st percentile)
She must be working off the food she eats because her weight percentile went down from 89th percentile to 77th. Nick and I had a bet (although nothing was wagered) before we went in on how much she weighed. I said 20-22 pounds. He said 23-24 pounds. I won! Although he won last time.
Here are her stats from the visit:
Height: 28 3/4 inches (87th percentile)
Weight: 20 pounds 6 ounces (77th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17 3/4 inches (81st percentile)
She must be working off the food she eats because her weight percentile went down from 89th percentile to 77th. Nick and I had a bet (although nothing was wagered) before we went in on how much she weighed. I said 20-22 pounds. He said 23-24 pounds. I won! Although he won last time.
Friday, August 13, 2010
5 on Friday
One of the blogs I read started this '10 on 2sday' entry every Tuesday. I really like the idea and it forces me to write an entry each week (thanks Lori!). I don't know if we are exciting enough to have 10 things every week, so I am going to alter it a little bit and make it 5 on Friday. So here it is:
1) My baby girl is officially 9 months old today! I cannot believe how fast she is growing up, or how much I absolutely love her. I look at her, and cannot imagine my life without her in it.
2) My nephew called me last Friday night. He had a question at the dinner table and his mom didn’t have the answer. The question: When is Ellie going to have a baby brother? My answer: When he is 8 or 9 years old (he is 5 now.) I hope he isn’t disappointed if she gets a sister instead (he is the only boy out of 7 grandchildren).
3) We painted the shed last weekend. It had only been up almost 3 months before we had/made the time to paint it to match the house. I am SO glad that project is done. It does look really nice and I think Nick loves the extra shed space he has over the old shed.
4) I haven’t been running lately, and need to get back into it. I will admit that I miss it a little.
5) I have started brainstorming for Eleanor’s 1st Birthday party. I have, what I think are, some cute ideas. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so I will wait to reveal the theme/plans until closer to or after her birthday. In the meantime, I have exactly 9 months worth of scrapbooking to get done before the big day!
1) My baby girl is officially 9 months old today! I cannot believe how fast she is growing up, or how much I absolutely love her. I look at her, and cannot imagine my life without her in it.
2) My nephew called me last Friday night. He had a question at the dinner table and his mom didn’t have the answer. The question: When is Ellie going to have a baby brother? My answer: When he is 8 or 9 years old (he is 5 now.) I hope he isn’t disappointed if she gets a sister instead (he is the only boy out of 7 grandchildren).
3) We painted the shed last weekend. It had only been up almost 3 months before we had/made the time to paint it to match the house. I am SO glad that project is done. It does look really nice and I think Nick loves the extra shed space he has over the old shed.
4) I haven’t been running lately, and need to get back into it. I will admit that I miss it a little.
5) I have started brainstorming for Eleanor’s 1st Birthday party. I have, what I think are, some cute ideas. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so I will wait to reveal the theme/plans until closer to or after her birthday. In the meantime, I have exactly 9 months worth of scrapbooking to get done before the big day!
9 months!
It is crazy that it has been 9-months since Eleanor was born. It seems like yesterday we were driving down Fleur on our way to the hospital (thinking we were going to be sent home once we got there). Yet so much has changed, and Eleanor is turning into such a grown-up.
When she was first born I remember thinking how I LOVED the little tiny baby stage. Being able to hold her (and have her like it) was awesome. Then she got a little bigger, and I loved that she could smile at us. Then came the rolling… eating baby food… crawling… two bottom teeth… a sippy cup… standing up… and through it all, more smiles and an occasional giggle. Although I miss the days when I could just hold her and she wouldn’t try to wiggle out of my arms, each stage has me thinking: this is my favorite stage. Yet.
An update on the little one:
Eleanor LOVES attention, and gets a little upset if she is smiling at you and don’t smile back (this goes for strangers as well). She is a Mommy’s girl, but has her days when she is 100% a Daddy’s girl. She loves to eat (who doesn’t), and get very excited when she sees her bottle or one of her ‘puffs’. She sets her mind to something and works until she gets it. She doesn’t get too upset if she cannot master something right away, she just keeps trying (I think she has Nick’s demeanor). She loves her stacking cups, they are by far her favorite toy right now. She loves music and watching people dance. She does amazing in church and everyone there loves her.
She loves going to day-care, and day-care loves her. They say she has ‘spunk’, is a ‘ham’ and has ‘a love for life’. Because she has so much fun and doesn’t want to miss out on the action, she doesn’t take very long naps (maybe an hour and a half total all day). But she sleeps through the night, and has been for a long time. She wakes up happy and ready to play (this she gets from me).
She loves dogs, and trying to give them open mouth kisses. She loves the water; bath-time or swim-time are a cure for an unhappy baby. She is in the next size up car seat, and I miss the bucket seat already. She wears size 3 diapers, although size 4 are not that far off. She is in size 9-12 month clothes. She is in the process of moving to the next room up at day-care.
She is growing up before our eyes. Next up: Turning One! Crazy.
When she was first born I remember thinking how I LOVED the little tiny baby stage. Being able to hold her (and have her like it) was awesome. Then she got a little bigger, and I loved that she could smile at us. Then came the rolling… eating baby food… crawling… two bottom teeth… a sippy cup… standing up… and through it all, more smiles and an occasional giggle. Although I miss the days when I could just hold her and she wouldn’t try to wiggle out of my arms, each stage has me thinking: this is my favorite stage. Yet.
An update on the little one:
Eleanor LOVES attention, and gets a little upset if she is smiling at you and don’t smile back (this goes for strangers as well). She is a Mommy’s girl, but has her days when she is 100% a Daddy’s girl. She loves to eat (who doesn’t), and get very excited when she sees her bottle or one of her ‘puffs’. She sets her mind to something and works until she gets it. She doesn’t get too upset if she cannot master something right away, she just keeps trying (I think she has Nick’s demeanor). She loves her stacking cups, they are by far her favorite toy right now. She loves music and watching people dance. She does amazing in church and everyone there loves her.
She loves going to day-care, and day-care loves her. They say she has ‘spunk’, is a ‘ham’ and has ‘a love for life’. Because she has so much fun and doesn’t want to miss out on the action, she doesn’t take very long naps (maybe an hour and a half total all day). But she sleeps through the night, and has been for a long time. She wakes up happy and ready to play (this she gets from me).
She loves dogs, and trying to give them open mouth kisses. She loves the water; bath-time or swim-time are a cure for an unhappy baby. She is in the next size up car seat, and I miss the bucket seat already. She wears size 3 diapers, although size 4 are not that far off. She is in size 9-12 month clothes. She is in the process of moving to the next room up at day-care.
She is growing up before our eyes. Next up: Turning One! Crazy.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Breastfeeding Part 2: How it all ended up
Here is my experience:
My friend said that if I could get through the first couple of weeks it would get easier after that. The first week was really hard. My milk didn’t come in until 5/6 days after Ellie was born. At midnight our first night home I was bawling because Eleanor wasn’t eating properly and Nick was feeding her formula. I was determined to not give up, and we were at the lactation consultant’s door early the next morning. After the milk came in, things got much easier. My first goal was 2 months, by then I was back to work and had that element to deal with. Luckily for me I work for an AMAZING company that supports breastfeeding!
The next goal was 4 months, and then 6 months. After 6 months I didn’t know how the whole teeth issue would play out. Thus far Ellie only has two bottom teeth, and I have had minimal issues with biting (thank Ellie!). Stretch goal: 8 months. During the process, I started ‘banking’ milk, so if I stopped we could still have her on breastmilk. We have a deep freeze devoted solely to Ellie’s milk, and also have overflow being stored at my parent’s house! I attribute this abundance of milk to drinking lots and lots of water- I don’t think I have drank so much water in my life. Oh, and don’t worry, I am careful to use the milk before it goes bad.
Around 8 months I dropped the daytime pumping and we started using the frozen milk to supplement. I still feed Eleanor in the morning and at night and love the bonding time that gives us. I never knew I would enjoy it so much! It really is a great bonding tool and is hard to put into words.
Of if the lactation consultant could see me now! Based on my projections: Eleanor will be 100% (minus the 2 ounces of formula she had at the hospital and the 2 ounces she had our first night home) breastmilk fed thru a year… Yes, I have a spreadsheet with all the milk frozen recorded, the amount Eleanor drinks each day, and how many days of stored milk we have. I also calculated our approximate savings of using breastmilk over buying formula (I will try and let you know the total savings after she is completely done with breastmilk).
The plan is to stop feeding her breastmilk after a year. My pump is starting to die and Eleanor already knows a little too much as to where she gets the milk from. I want her to be able to transition to 100% sippy cup at a year, or shortly after, without any major problems. We will use what stored milk we have, and then switch to whole milk. That is the plan anyway… but plans do change.
To any future mommy’s out there: breastfeeding is a personal choice, and you should never be judged if you do or don’t do it. There are pros and cons either way. If you are debating, I encourage you to give it a try and set a realistic goal (I really think the 2 month goal is a good one). Who knows, maybe you will be like me and love it. Best of luck.
My friend said that if I could get through the first couple of weeks it would get easier after that. The first week was really hard. My milk didn’t come in until 5/6 days after Ellie was born. At midnight our first night home I was bawling because Eleanor wasn’t eating properly and Nick was feeding her formula. I was determined to not give up, and we were at the lactation consultant’s door early the next morning. After the milk came in, things got much easier. My first goal was 2 months, by then I was back to work and had that element to deal with. Luckily for me I work for an AMAZING company that supports breastfeeding!
The next goal was 4 months, and then 6 months. After 6 months I didn’t know how the whole teeth issue would play out. Thus far Ellie only has two bottom teeth, and I have had minimal issues with biting (thank Ellie!). Stretch goal: 8 months. During the process, I started ‘banking’ milk, so if I stopped we could still have her on breastmilk. We have a deep freeze devoted solely to Ellie’s milk, and also have overflow being stored at my parent’s house! I attribute this abundance of milk to drinking lots and lots of water- I don’t think I have drank so much water in my life. Oh, and don’t worry, I am careful to use the milk before it goes bad.
Around 8 months I dropped the daytime pumping and we started using the frozen milk to supplement. I still feed Eleanor in the morning and at night and love the bonding time that gives us. I never knew I would enjoy it so much! It really is a great bonding tool and is hard to put into words.
Of if the lactation consultant could see me now! Based on my projections: Eleanor will be 100% (minus the 2 ounces of formula she had at the hospital and the 2 ounces she had our first night home) breastmilk fed thru a year… Yes, I have a spreadsheet with all the milk frozen recorded, the amount Eleanor drinks each day, and how many days of stored milk we have. I also calculated our approximate savings of using breastmilk over buying formula (I will try and let you know the total savings after she is completely done with breastmilk).
The plan is to stop feeding her breastmilk after a year. My pump is starting to die and Eleanor already knows a little too much as to where she gets the milk from. I want her to be able to transition to 100% sippy cup at a year, or shortly after, without any major problems. We will use what stored milk we have, and then switch to whole milk. That is the plan anyway… but plans do change.
To any future mommy’s out there: breastfeeding is a personal choice, and you should never be judged if you do or don’t do it. There are pros and cons either way. If you are debating, I encourage you to give it a try and set a realistic goal (I really think the 2 month goal is a good one). Who knows, maybe you will be like me and love it. Best of luck.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Breastfeeding Part 1: FREE PROMO CODE
Did you know that this week was World Breastfeeding Week? I have thought about doing a breastfeeding post for a while now, but never knew where to start, or if I really wanted to go that route. Then I got an e-mail about a free “Udder Cover” code and I couldn’t ignore it. So here is the post (which I have decided it too long, so it will be two posts) and the information on how to get your free nursing cover.
First the free code: Go to www.uddercovers.com, click on "Shop Now" and select the
cover you would like. Type “Breastfeeding” into the promo code box and it will bring your product total to $0. All you pay is the shipping fees. You can use the code more than once - you just have to open a new browser window to do so. You can also use this promo code to get a 3 piece gift set for only $5! I have the black squiggle one and get a lot of use out of it. Since I use it, it gets washed a lot and is showing a little wear. I don’t know that I think it is worth $32 retail, but it is totally worth the less than $10 you pay in S&H. The thing I like most is that it is light weight. Eleanor gets really hot and the light weight fabric keeps her cool.
Now onto my breastfeeding experience: I have to admit, I have never been a real breastfeeding ‘cheerleader’. I don’t know why, I just always envisioned myself feeding my baby a bottle (of formula). When Nick and I were working on our revised budget (to include baby necessities), the cost of breastfeeding over the cost of formula was overwhelmingly cheaper. I was sold on at least trying to breastfeed. The health aspects are overwhelmingly in favor of breastfeeding. Given that Eleanor was born during H1N1 season that was important. To be honest with you, it was the $$$ that made me do it more than anything.
So how did it all work out? Until next time…
First the free code: Go to www.uddercovers.com, click on "Shop Now" and select the
cover you would like. Type “Breastfeeding” into the promo code box and it will bring your product total to $0. All you pay is the shipping fees. You can use the code more than once - you just have to open a new browser window to do so. You can also use this promo code to get a 3 piece gift set for only $5! I have the black squiggle one and get a lot of use out of it. Since I use it, it gets washed a lot and is showing a little wear. I don’t know that I think it is worth $32 retail, but it is totally worth the less than $10 you pay in S&H. The thing I like most is that it is light weight. Eleanor gets really hot and the light weight fabric keeps her cool.
Now onto my breastfeeding experience: I have to admit, I have never been a real breastfeeding ‘cheerleader’. I don’t know why, I just always envisioned myself feeding my baby a bottle (of formula). When Nick and I were working on our revised budget (to include baby necessities), the cost of breastfeeding over the cost of formula was overwhelmingly cheaper. I was sold on at least trying to breastfeed. The health aspects are overwhelmingly in favor of breastfeeding. Given that Eleanor was born during H1N1 season that was important. To be honest with you, it was the $$$ that made me do it more than anything.
So how did it all work out? Until next time…
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