Friday, January 05, 2007

Bottle or No Bottle?

Exhibit A:

My fave pair of boots...
Exhibit B:

The Culprit? My cat Jazz (the only one with claws). I went to wear my fave pair of boots... but they seem to have been... what's the word... used as a CAT STRATCHING POST! Damn it!

I am soooooooooooooo mad about my fave pair of boots... they're pretty much good for garbage now. This damage is not cool. I wonder if I could still wear them with a long enough pair of pants, that would cover the damaged area. I wonder if it's even worth it??

Two pairs of earrings that I made for myself. I heart pink!

The stitch markers from the swap that I hosted, from Lainie. Thanks Lainie - I love them!

Here is the package that we won from CJAD for the special delivery of the day!



I received this water color from my friend Jennie. I love it so much.
I need to find a frame for it, I want to hang it in his room. It's so special.



Yesterday, while the nurse was over from the CLSC, I got a doorbell ring... it was Purolator, with a package for Sean. I couldn't believe he was receiving mail already. (Winning radio contest and receiving mail!) Anyhow, my friend Sherrie in Boston sent over this Boston Red Socks outfit, to bug Jamie. You see, Jamie's a HUGE Yankee's fan - and Sherrie - a native from Boston - a Sox Fan. I think we're going to have a problem here, I don't know if Jamie will allow Sean to wear it!

The outfit also came with a cute hat:


So those are all the photos I've been meaning to blog in the last few days, just hadn't had time to post! Ah, life with a newborn!


Seapking of which, Sean certainly sleeps a lot, which I try to sleep at the same time, but sometimes, by the time I fall asleep, it's time to get up again to feed him! So my mind almost thinks "what's the point of falling asleep, if you need to get up shortly again". It's a bad way to think, but I force myself to get some shut eye. It's really hard though... especially since I'm used to sleeping for 12 hours straight by the end of the pregnancy. (But BOY does it feel GREAT to sleep on my tummy again! I'm a stomach sleeper).

The nursing is going okay, but because I left the hospital with damage from not feeding Sean properly, due to the reason that the hospital didn't teach me how to breastfeed properly, when I thought I was, I have been pumping lately, to ease up the pain and allow some heeling time. To be honest, I discussed it with Jamie, and we both agreed that as long as Sean's getting my milk, that we don't really care how he is getting it (from me vs. the bottle). Also - because of the pumping, this allows us to feed Sean (either me or daddy) in the middle of the night in less time than it was taking if I was nursing him from my boob. This allows for getting back to sleep sooner, and allowing us to get more sleep. I am very happy about this! It makes for such a happier baby and a happier mommy & daddy! We both actually got a really good night's sleep last night, which is fantastic compared to the amount of sleep we've been getting lately. It's been really tough getting that sleep, and now that we sort of are starting upon a routine, it's getting better. Much better!

Today we got out of the house for lunch, joining Jamie's ex coworkers for some souvlaki. Sean was of course spoiled yet again, with a few more toys just for him, and some outfits and an awesome fleece Winnie the Pooh blanket.
This evening Jamie had the boy's over for poker, and I had Vera over, who fell in love with Sean and held him and even got to try feeding him (she's never fed a baby before, so I think it's been a cool experience for her). I want Sean to get used to being passed around to people, so that he's not freaked out when other people hold him as he gets older. He needs to be a social kid! So we're starting him young, being held and even fed or diaper changed (if the person is willing) by other people.

This weekend brings upon more visitors coming to see Sean, and we have a nurse from McGill coming tomorrow to do Part 2 of a 3 participation study for research. (Sean made 10$ in the hospital for me answering a few questions to a girl from McGill, and this visit tomorrow earns Sean another 20$. There is a last part, I think when Sean is a month old, and that will earn him another 20$). This kid will be a month old, and he'll have already earned himself 50$! And he didn't even have to leave the house! I'm really hoping that the nurse from the research study at McGill brings with her a scale, so that I can weigh him, to make sure he's making progress in his weight gain. I am sure he's doing well - but I don't have a baby scale, so I can't measure him accurately. I tried with my yarn scale, but he was too figidty, I wasn't able to get an accurate reading, which is too bad. My yarn scale actually can measure the weight of a baby - it's just too bad that it wasn't stable for him to stay on if he was moving around.

Speaking of yarn... that brings me to knitting. I frogged my Column of Leaves scarf tonight. The mistake that I was making was with a Purl 2 Together Through Back Loop... I wasn't doing it properly, and it was creating a bump on the wrong side of the project. I've done some Knit 2 Together Through Back Loop before, but never Purling. But now that I've fixed that problem, I'm back on track. While Vera held Sean tonight, while the boy's played poker, I got some knitting time in! While watching What Not To Wear on TLC. (I'm starting to love this show!)

Here are some precious pictures of Sean, that I leave you with tonight:

I love the way he cuddles with his hands.... make me feel good that he's comfy!

He gives us these smiles while he sleeps.
I just love it!
I'm glad I captured this moment on film!

9 comments:

Jenny said...

He smiles when he sleeps! That is too cute! As an east coaster whose family is originally from Boston, I must applaud the Red Sox garb and I am sure my little one will have some similar outfits from her family.

I am a stomach sleeper too and I just can't wait until I can go back to sleep the normal way!

sko_G knits said...

he is the cutest thing!!!

Barb said...

awww what a sweet smile :) looks like you got a nice prize package there, is'nt it great too sleep on your stomache again?? I remember not being able too do that

g-girl said...

ohhh, i love the pic of sean cuddled with his hands and he smiles! my niece smiles during her sleep too. It's so adorable! sorry about the boots..jazz has been feeling attention-deprived! the earrings are cool and so are the stitch markers. :)

Drea said...

love the smiley pic of him. so cute. its probably gas tho ;-)

lil warning about pumping. It is less painful when your sore and cracked from him latching wrong... but it wont work as well in the long run.

Caleb latched wrong in the hospital when he was born so I pumped as well.
My milk was gone in a matter of weeks though. Pumping just didnt keep it in for some reason.

With Taite he latched fine.. but due to a bad arm (IV's stink!) and weak from the labor I put him on a bottle in the hospital and just pumped until I got home. By the time I got home he refused to nurse... wanted nothing to do with my boob. So I continued to pump for him. Work great until I got clocked milk ducts (caused by the pumping)... those were sooo painful!!

So I stopped pumping because it hurt so bad with the ducts. So... now Taites on formula only.
I did pump the other day and got a half ounce... but thats nothing. He is drinking 3 oz. now...
So to pump and only get a 1\2 oz. to me isnt worth it.

any who. Maybe pumping will work for you but it didnt work for me.. and I tried it twice.

Good thing is Caleb did great on formula and so has Taite. Caleb has no allergies, is very healthy. Taite so far has none either.

Some say formula fed babies are less healthy and are prone to allergies... but thats not the case in my boys.

Any who... thats all I have to say about that lol. If you end up putting Sean on formula dont kick yourself. There is so much pressure to breastfeed these days from so many places... that when it doesnt work out a mother feels like less of a mom because she isnt doing that. Your not less of a mom though! As long as your providing for that baby your a fantastic mommy :-)

Oh and sorry about your boots.
Darn cat :-)
Cats are great pets but do have their annoying behaviors!

love the earrings ;-)

Unknown said...

Sean is absolutely beautiful. Hang in there with the nursing. It WILL get better, and will definitely be worth it.

(Besides being a knitter/crocheter, I'm a La Leche League Leader and Board-Certified Lactation Consultant.)

Edie Eckman

Montreal Mama said...

To Edie - What I am afraid of - is not knowing when to give my son more breastmilk than what he's getting. Right now I'm pumping because of sore nipples. If you for some reason come back and check my comments - please email me at graphicdesignchick@hotmail.com - thanks!

Drea said...

Oh and i meant to say i used a top of the line medela hospital grade pump. So my milk not coming fast had nothing to do with a poor pump :-)

Maggie BB said...

sorry i haven't stopped by sooner to say so - but Sean is sooo cute! I love that sleepy smile picture - hilariously adorable :D

i started this semester so far behind and overwhelmed already, my blog checking is lagging... but I was determined to stop by and see the new baby! So glad I did :)

k, i really should be doing something school related right now... ;)