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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Everyday Life

It's been less then exciting around here since the birthdays are over, the basement is pretty much back to normal and we have nothing major on our calendars until the holidays and baby boy comes in December. Speaking of I am 28 weeks, starting my 3rd trimester. Feels good to make make it this far, but will be much happier with full term chubby baby. I passed my glucose test so no gestational diabetes for me, but I am battling a bit of anemia. Maybe that is why I can't stay up past 8:30 most nights?! So just focusing on my diet and increasing my iron and vitamin C consumption. Cereal has been my go to this pregnancy (minus the breakfast sandwiches at work) and my OB said maybe I need to start adding some variety....I wanted to punch him, but only because he is right. Up to this point, we have officially done NOTHING to prepare to for baby boy franks, bought nothing, moved anything, or even really put a thought to it...This is my next venture. We won't need a much, but some planning, organizing, re-arranging is necessary.

Anyways, we have been enjoying the fall weather around here. I broke out my fall my decorations and love how cozy our house feels in the fall. Leah loves the weather and being outside. She is not walking yet, but is content pushing her wagon up and down the street. She is also enjoying the park, swings and slides...thinks she is big stuff. Between the football, fall decor and anything pumpkin I can get my hands on it is once again safe to say fall is THE BEST SEASON of all!

 
Ignore my annoying "baby" voice
 
 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Birthday Weekend Recap

Well the big  birthdays in my house are over...can I say finally?! All the planning and organization about killed my 27 week preggo body and mind! BUT everything turned out fabulous and I think the birthday "kids" had a great time!

Saturday, we hosted a tailgate down in Bloomington for the BSU vs IU football game. We trucked a whole bunch of food, beer and decorations down and had a great time. Not to mention we forgot the hamburgers and mark dumped a whole tray of pulled pork on the ground....we still had enough food :) It was great to be surrounded by our old college friends and reminded me how lucky we were to have such an awesome college experience and the lifelong friendships we have made. I love each and every one of my Mark's friends and their wives. We have so much fun together and I love our families will get to see this growing up. Needless to say the game was way too exciting, BSU winning in the last second...our group of still college wannabes were going nuts and singing the fight song every chance we got. Love me some BSU!

The men in my life!

Final cheers before entering the game!

Sunday we had family over for Leah's Birthday celebration. Of course I wanted everything to be perfect but that soon went to the wayside when we didn't get from the game until 3am and I was up at 6:30...I was exhausted. I went into a little bit of panic, but my mom and dad swooped in and took over. Started making the food and calming me down etc...And all was well. The food was great, I made some super cute decorations for miss Leah and she loved her cake. I am getting extra terrible at taking pictures so a lot of my decorations I didn't get on film :/ but it really doesn't matter. We all had fun celebrating Leah. Not to mention is was Mark's actual birthday as well, I was determined to sing to him as well and I forgot... worst wife ever Leah got some fun new toys and loved being around all of her cousins again. Birthday weekend= success.




Leah and Evan (he was the "official" helper to blow out the candle)

 
Thinking about it
Going for it!







 



 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

What I have learned from a year of breastfeeding

We are coming up on the year mark of my journey in breastfeeding. It is hard to believe it has been year even though some days it felt like an eternity. Those of you that know me and are around me on a daily basis know that breastfeeding was the most and is the most important "thing" I wanted to do for Leah since well before I even knew who she was. Whenever I imagined having kids an image of breastfeeding would always pop into my head and I felt a little tug at my heart knowing this was something I had to do. In every way imaginable I was not let down by making this choice and committing to it for one year. The health benefits continue to astound me every time I read a new research article and it makes me wonder how someone would not want to attempt this for the health benefits to your baby and yourself alone. We have had a fairly sick free year, minus the recent uti's Leah has had. A few coughs, no ear infections and a few runny noses...nothing to write home about. How thankful I have been.

Looking back on the year we were faced with many ups and downs in this relationship but I know we have both benefited from it. I am proud that I made a commitment to do it for year and followed through even when I wanted to stop. Truthfully, I never really wanted to stop I was just sick of pumping, worrying about my supply, treating my freezer stash as a second baby. It becomes exhausting. Also, having a child who has not consistently slept through the night there were times I wanted to say " Mark just go give her a bottle, I don't care" But something inside me would always get me out of bed to go nurse her, the one thing I knew would calm her and help her back to sleep. I have taken some flack for getting up to consistently meet her needs in the middle of the night, but I am just not a momma who can listen to crying night upon upon night, knowing I can calm her in a few minutes with something as easy as a quick nursing session. Leah is not overly attached to me, she goes to everyone, she does not have any separation anxiety so far... all the "bad things" people warn you about did not happen. Yes, she wants me when she is tired, but that is because she knows how what makes her feel calm and safe. I have also heard people say that the "problem" with breastfeeding babies is they only want their moms. My response (in my nicest tone) Heaven forbid a baby wants to be with its mother. This year has been for Leah and I to get to know each other and that we have. Our nightly nursing sessions are something I have grown to cherish and look forward too. It allows me to slow down and be reminded of how wonderful she really is. As we are about to stop nursing as this new baby is slowing down my milk production, I feel a bit sad. Im not ready to give that up yet, but a 2 month break might be nice before I start this all over again in December. Leah is growing up, losing a little bit of interest and is transitioning well. We well just be starting a new phase of our mommy-daughter relationship.

A few reminders to myself come December:
- The first 4-6 weeks sucks...it is hard, exhausting, painful, stressful...stick with it
- Never quit on a bad day (quote from one of my breastfeeding mommas)
- When you really don't want to...PUMP! You want that freezer stash.
- Suck it up and PUMP :)
- Don't worry about others opinions, do what feels right to you
- It's ok for someone to give a bottle every once in while ( I struggle with this)
- Remember to try and enjoy your quiet time with your baby
- Side lying nursing is the best way to get some sleep
-Surround yourself with people who support you and are positive

 I can't forget to give a shoutout to my breastfeeding group of mommas. We met through St. Vincent's breastfeeding support group and these amazing women have kept me going. We have all supported each other, offered support and advice, and been encouraged that we all are a bit crazy. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful group of new friends.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

I mean REALLY.....

OK so I threw a mini pity party last week, but oh man does it continue! Mark woke up Saturday morning (I was working) to a flooded basement. Our sump pump stopped working and IT IS A MESS....He spent all day dealing with that. The cleanup people didnt leave until close to 9pm Sat night. I go to leave work Sat night and my car wont start, I needed a jump and that ended up taking 45 minutes. I have some sort of cough/cold and I sound like a 20+ year smoker. Hopefully our house will be back to working order this week as we have some birthdays to celebrate this coming weekend. They will come back to check and make sure things are drying appropriately and then wash, steam and deodorize the basement carpet. While they are here we are just having them do all of upstairs too, so at least that will get done before baby #2. I feel overwhelmed with it all, but sitting in church this morning I thought of a friend who just lost her dad to cancer this past week, a friend who has a baby who is going through a major surgery this week, my sister who is traveling and living apart from her husband, and all the NICU momma's who spend months on end in the NICU instead of at home snuggling their healthy newborn....Talk about perspective. We have a lot to be thankful for and I am choosing that mentality. Soooo on that note it is OFFICIALLY birthday week in the Franklin household. Mark's 30th and Leah's 1st....time to get cracking on the party details!

Here is the "birthday wreath" I made and hung up today to begin the celebrations! This was a fun little pinterest project that took a little time, but nothing a few rainy afternoons didn't help with. It makes me smile!


Sunday, September 2, 2012

Leah 11 Months

 
 
Age: Eleven Months
Weight
: Around 20-21lbs
Length: ?

Teeth:  Nothing new here, I think her top side teeth are trying to poke through
Hair: OUT OF CONTROL and this momma refuses to cut it. Trying different styles, but she ends up pulling everything out anyways.
Sleeping:  Getting better, always room for improvement and better consistency. Working on weaning the night time feed.
Eating: Nursing morning and night, cut out am feed. Started offering whole milk and she doesn't seem to mind it. Getting a bit more picky about food and throws it off her tray if she does not like it.  
Movement: Crawling, pulling up, cruising, walking with a walker toy! Still Dancing!
Milestones: Walking with walker, whole milk.
Favorite Toys: Pacifier...Holy smokes...cant leave home without one. Loves books and playing with blocks, stacking them and taking them in and out of things. Likes her new "remote" I got her. And of course anything she isn't supposed to play with ie computers, cellphones, etc.
Words/sounds: Waving, dada, mama, a "g" sound, baba, lots of jibber jabber
 


Yes, it is the thermometer



Dancing





What's that noise?


My favorite...seriously can't get enough!